Separation and Lies
by tonyamic10
Summary: Bella weaved an intricate lie to protect those she loved the most. Jacob struggled for years without her. When fate steps in and nudges them together again, life only gets more complicated. Bella isn't done keeping secrets. Jacob insists on being the man he promised to be no matter what the cost. Full summary inside. [AU, Jacob/Bella]
1. Chapter 1

**~A/N I'll start off by saying I'm a liar too, so this story should be easy for me. I keep saying I'm wrapping up my stories and retiring from fic. Haha and then Adele released a new song. Who gave her permission? Anyway, I know I have plenty of other stories, and I'll never completely abandon them. Check out my record. My completes are impressive. I just had to work this one out and it couldn't be done in a one or two shot. Some readers already caught this in my one shot group, Sketches. I added a few lines, so you might want to do a quick read through again. I usually post a follow up chapter quick when I start a new one, so review and tell me if that's a good idea.**

 **Oh yeah, once I also said I wouldn't write sad stories after Revival. All lies, I live for this stuff! There's your hint, this won't be an easy, lovey-dovey road. It's a bit bumpy.**

 **Prompt:** Adele's "Hello"

 **Summary:** Bella weaved an intricate lie to protect those she loved the most. Jacob struggled for years without her. When fate steps in and nudges them together again, life only gets more complicated. Bella isn't done keeping secrets. Jacob insists on being the man he promised to be no matter what the cost. Life and love never came easy for these two, that hasn't changed. Can Bella make up for the chaos she initiated and what will happen when it's revealed, she wasn't the only one hiding a truth?

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

 **Separation and Lies**

Chapter 1: Hello

He sat at the edge of the freshly made bed. Who knew what the maid imagined every afternoon when she cleaned the room. He didn't know what had gotten into him lately, but the nights were the worst.

Jacob sat with the hotel phone in his hands. He didn't want to use his personal phone even though he always knew, even though they stopped answering years ago.

It didn't make much sense that they kept the thing in service but the monthly fee was irrelevant to their vast wealth.

 _"Hi, it's Bella. You know what to do?"_

He quickly hung up as soon as the tone sounded, only to dial the number back three more times just to listen once more. He always promised it would be the last time. It never was.

It had been eight years, but it felt like yesterday whenever he heard her voice. Jacob was on a business trip in California. So much had happened, nothing was the same. Once Bella married Cullen and they moved away, the pack talked about giving up the wolf. He was the first to succeed. It was a matter of self-preservation.

Jacob waited for months until he couldn't stand it anymore. Charlie had gotten word of a mystery illness. Carlisle said there was nothing that could be done. Of course, he knew differently. He stewed a few more months and decided he'd attempt to make contact once more just to let her know how much she sucked for the way she handled it.

The last thing he expected was Alice to answer. He started mouthing off to the pixie and then asked to speak to Bells one last time.

"It wasn't a lie, Jacob. What we told Charlie was as close to the truth we could get. The transformation didn't go smoothly. Carlisle tried everything, she really didn't make it. We honored her in a private family ceremony and scattered her ashes in a beautiful place. She knew she was dying, and she said to tell you she was sorry if we ever heard from you again."

He fucking lost it. At first, he thought it was another lie. It couldn't be true. He would feel it if she was completely gone. Those closest to him knew why. Sam said it must be an anomaly like everything else had been with her.

* * *

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, he got his shit together. He had to do something with his life. He started hitting the books. First, he graduated high school, then college. Jacob was an architect, living in Seattle. That was where he met her.

Kaleigh was exactly what he needed. She was a great person. He loved her. It was gradual, nothing magical, not love at first sight, but real. However, he worried about his growing anxiety which got worse, the closer it got to the wedding.

Jacob called a few more times, those first months after hearing the truth. He'd talked to the leech, Dr. Fang and even the snooty blonde one. They all told the same story. They asked what he was trying to accomplish by calling and yelling at them. They all felt equally miserable with Bella's fate. He doubted that. None of them knew his anguish, not even her corpse husband. They assured him they'd never come back, so he passed that information onto the rest of the pack, so they wouldn't feel pressured to keep phasing.

It was so weird to him that he made this trip to California once a year for the past few years and each year, he got a little crazier. He drank to excess after his meetings just to maintain the slightest bit of sanity when he sat in the room all alone each evening. He tossed and turned in the bed to the point he usually ended up on the floor with all the bedding each night. Kaleigh asked about coming this time. He told her she'd be bored and he'd have no time to spend with her. He, honestly didn't want her to see him the way he got. He was bad enough snapping at her on the phone sometimes. She had no idea what kind of torment he'd been through. Kaleigh knew there was a girl named Bella, that she was special to him at one time and that she was dead. That's as much as he ever shared. She agreed there was tons of planning with the wedding only a month away. They'd have their special getaway when Jacob took her to New Zealand on their honeymoon.

He picked up the receiver and dialed again. He wished they'd shut the damn phone off one day, so he couldn't torture himself anymore. After he listened to her greeting, the one that never changed, he admitted he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he couldn't have that one last fragment of Bella that still existed.

* * *

.

.

.

Bella belted out a few bars of her go to jam this month. She knew she sucked, but it helped the time pass whenever she was stuck in traffic. She shaded her eyes from the late afternoon sun. She'd grown accustomed to the alternate weather, but sometimes the seasons called to her and the never ending summer wasn't so appealing. The sunshine, warmth and large city provided what she needed most, distance and safety. She pulled up at the curb, her spot at their three-bedroom bungalow.

When she finally decided to live her own life, she took a chance which was nothing short of a miracle. Bella planned it all out online. She found a job and then took the advice of her new co-worker about a friend of his that was looking for a new roommate. She was tired of paying the weekly motel which was full of unsavory characters as soon as the sun set.

Of course, Edward argued it was all insane. They wanted to set her up in a posh condominium with full security, but she refused. She was making a clean break. The only area she crumbled had to do with tuition assistance. She did accept the money each semester because LA was expensive and she didn't have time for two jobs if she wanted to take college seriously. He, at least begged permission to run a background check on her new roommates. She conceded and told him to do whatever he wished, but she wasn't changing her mind. If he would have come back with some outlandish criminal background, she might of taken heed of his concerns, but she hardly cared that Monica had a terrible credit score and Barry had a vandalism charge on his juvie record.

She walked in after a long day of work at the cafe. She barely had an hour of free time before she was off to class. Her roommates, Barry and Monica were staring at something she couldn't focus on just yet from across the room.

"What the heck is so interesting?"

"It's been ringing... a bunch today."

Bella opened the junk drawer and pulled out the old cell phone, her only connection to the past.

"I don't get it B. Why do you keep that thing constantly charged but never answer it?"

"I've told you before, it's a long story."

"We've got time."

"Well, I don't. I need to change." She shoved the phone back inside the drawer. She'd look later when she was alone, but she asked out of curiosity. "Same ole number from Washington, I guess?" She'd given them little details but they both knew she had an ex-husband and an ex-something else that couldn't be labeled. They begged for more details, but she was a vault except for the rare times, that got her to consume too much red wine.

She started towards her room, not even waiting for an answer. It was Jacob, he was the only one that called that old cell phone. The Cullens knew her new number, but even they rarely checked in. Bella stopped dead in her tracks when Barry spoke. "No, it's local. I searched it. The calls today came from a hotel that's not too far from here. I say we go check it out."

She couldn't, she'd done all this for him. Jacob was safe, she only brought him heartache and danger. It could be a mistake. That's probably what it was, but just the idea that it could really be him in her vicinity was almost too overwhelming. She quickly forgot about getting ready for class. She turned on her heel, ran back to the kitchen, tripping once on a stupid rug Monica picked out so she could get to the contents of that junk drawer.

* * *

Bella retrieved the phone and called back. She didn't have a plan, but she had to know for sure. The hotel operator answered, she asked for Jacob Black's room. If they said, there was no one staying there by that name, then she was in the clear. She could go back to the way things were, the way she'd learned to adapt.

Instead, the person on the other end said, "Of course, please hold why I try that extension." She waited with her phone in her hand and two nosy friends with their ears pressed to her door. They tried to be quiet but she heard them arguing about who was being too loud. They both were.

"Hello."

 _Hang up_. She said to herself, but she didn't.

"Hello, Jake."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Oh, the plans I have for this. I'm writing it even if no one wants to read it. LOL!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**~This one's a little short but the next one is quite lengthy. I'm always happy to hear people say their interested in new stories of mine. Thanks a bunch.**_

Chapter 2: Stepping Out of the Grave

Why in the hell did she respond? It was the dumbest thing she'd ever done. Well, that wasn't true, but the dumbest mistake in a long time. She should hang up and destroy the phone immediately, but something happened within her when she heard his voice. It had been so long. She knew he called occasionally and suspected it had something to do with her voicemail. Bella felt the same way. She wished, once he'd leave her a message, but that would be odd since he thought she was dead. If she was lucky, sometimes she heard him breathing or background noise. Once, she swore, she heard a woman in the distance. Bella played that short recording over and over, never being able to decipher what was said. It could've been the television or the radio, but something told her it wasn't.

"Bells?"

Silence on her end.

"Bella, is it really you? Hello, say something." She heard a loud banging and him swear under his breath. "Who am I kidding? I'm drunk, having a conversation with a ghost."

She panicked that he would hang up even though that's what needed to happen. "Jake, wait. It is... it's really me. You're not talking to a ghost or at least not the type you mean."

No more hesitation, he shouted. "FUCK! I knew those damn leeches couldn't be trusted. Where are you? What have they done to you, Bells?"

Of course, he'd think this was all the fault of tricky vampires. He, honestly had far too much faith in her since the beginning. Bella wasn't sure she had the guts to admit the entire scheme was her idea, start to finish.

She tried to speak, but it took several tries for actual words to come out. Finally, she said something. "I'm okay and I'm here in Los Angeles. I guess you are too. Strange, huh?"

He bombarded her with questions so fast, she couldn't begin to answer, but she eventually got around to asking if he could meet her at the cafe. She rattled off the address and simple directions. "I get off at 4:30 tomorrow. Not sure why you're in town or if you're busy, but there's too much to go over on the phone. Will you come?"

"Are you kidding? Of course, I will. I'll come to wherever you are right this second, but I'm confused."

Bella heard just as many questions through the wooden door. Barry wanted her to ask if he was still single. Monica wanted to know what he did for a living. She held the phone away from her mouth, "Knock it off, go away." She tossed an empty plastic water bottle to startle them.

Jacob's panic was evident, "Bella, what's going on there? Is someone threatening you?"

"No, more like annoying me. Look, I told you I'm okay. I'm not in danger or anything like that. Tomorrow." Of course, she was taking a huge risk, but she couldn't turn back now unless she enacted her emergency fleeing plan into motion. She'd already given him her work address.

"Okay, tomorrow. I have a conference, but I'll be out by 3:30. I'll see you when you get off. Will you be alone? You said you're working? Where's the leech?"

"I'll explain everything to you tomorrow, but please don't say anything until we talk. Okay?"

"Sure, sure."

She said she was hanging up, but he lingered. She had trouble breaking the connection too, but after several seconds of silence, she hit the button to end the call. She tiptoed to the door and twisted the knob and pulled as hard as she could. They both fell onto the hardwood floor just inside the door frame.

"Ever heard of privacy? That's so rude."

Barry pulled himself up first, then he helped Monica. Those two were roommates first, but he and Bella were thick as thieves. They fit perfectly as friends. He was entirely too overprotective and fussed over her like a parent most days and she assumed she let him because she missed what she'd left behind... her family.

"Nope, you don't get to act pissy now, darling. You opened this can of worms. How many times have Monica and I listened to _the speech?_ You can never face anyone from your past. It's too late, it might be dangerous. Things are better this way... etc. etc. It was him, wasn't it? The guy? Your one." Barry had this crazy notion each person had _a one_. He agreed everyone could find happiness with several prospects and the fact was only a few ever found their one. However, if you were lucky enough to find your one, never let go under any circumstance. She and Monica had both told him he was nuts when it came to his philosophies on love.

Monica pulled her back to the bed, and wrapped her up in a hug. "Simmer down, Bar. Can't you see she's rattled. Oh, sweetie, you're getting all blotchy." She told Barry to get her a cool rag. Bella said it wasn't necessary, but she could feel her face flushing and her heart racing. Barry was silly about this one business, but connecting with Jacob over the phone had affected her more than she imagined it would.

Bella needed to get a grip. She was going to class no matter what. She'd worked too hard to screw up this last semester. "No way, you can't possibly go to class tonight, you're too emotional." Barry suggested driving her, but she really wanted to be alone to think.

"I'm fine." Bella was honestly surprised she handled it so well. She was even more surprised Jacob calmed down as quickly as he did. It was almost like he never believed the story in the first place and it was true, he called her phone many times after all these years. She imagined her fake death would free him, but for some reason, he still clung to hope. That didn't make it any easier. Nothing about her decision had been easy. She still had all the hard stuff to explain, the things that would possibly make his blood boil and hate her forever.

Barry dabbed her face with a scented cool cloth. He was a cosmetology god. She and Monica were the recipients of every spa treatment known to man on a regular basis. They both had great hair and baby soft skin.

"Better?"

"Much, thanks guys and yes, that was Jacob. He's in town. We're going to talk."

"Why now? What changed your mind?"

She couldn't answer them, because Bella was fully prepared to hang up after he answered, if he answered, but once she heard that deep, familiar voice, she couldn't. Bella had run for eight years, but being confronted with him finally stopped her. She had to come out of hiding, at least long enough to give him an explanation. She owed him that much and if she was totally honest for once, she wanted to see him so badly, it hurt.

* * *

She managed to get herself together, so she could attend her night classes. Of course, on the way home, she was tempted to drive around his hotel. Temptation led to action and she actually made the block several times. What if she parked and went inside? It was past ten but not incredibly late. She didn't know his room number, but she could call again and say, "I'm downstairs, wanna talk now?"

After her thirty minute circumnavigation, acting like a teenage stalker, a saner version of herself prevailed. Bella knew going to his hotel would be a tremendous mistake and she'd made way too many mistakes. It was time to do something right. She intended to tell him the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He'd be hurt, she was prepared for that. He'd be angry, that she deserved, but once it was said and done, maybe, just maybe he'd have some closure. Bella knew this new plan of hers had nothing to do with begging for forgiveness, she was setting Jacob free.

She stopped in front of her house and sat quietly in the dark a few more minutes. Jacob being free to live his life fully was all that mattered, she'd told herself that over and over. The saying was true, _If you love someone, set them free..._ The rest of the proclamation didn't apply. He wouldn't come back once he knew and he was never hers to begin with. None of those truths kept her from feeling a horrible pain in the pit of her belly. She knew for certain, the meeting tomorrow would be the last time he ever spoke to her?

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**~A/N My other two chapters were way too small. This one's way too long, but it just didn't fit to break it up.**_

 _ **I might have been listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" a bit too much.**_

Chapter 3: Set Free

Jacob was surprised he survived the day. He hadn't slept a wink all night. How could he after that revelation? Bella was alive. Deep down, somewhere hidden inside him, he always knew. He wished he could have gotten all the answers immediately, but he was almost there according to the driver. His company paid for a service, so he was able to come and go when he was at the annual conference. Most employees took advantage of the free afternoons and evenings for sightseeing, but Jacob never cared for it. He actually hated LA... too big, too many people, not enough real trees and the traffic was pure insanity. Why would anyone choose to live here? Why in the world would she?

It made no sense her vampire clan would reside in this type of climate. So many questions rushed through his mind all night long. Why the lie? There was so much information he was missing, obviously. None of it made sense. One thing was certain, she was still human. He carried over several acute senses and he knew the difference. Bella was not a vampire, but he had no idea whether she was with Cullen or not. If she wasn't, it made absolutely no sense that she hadn't contacted someone. For crying out loud, her parents thought she was dead. They even erected a stone at the cemetery so they could place flowers there on her birthday and holidays. It was odd that she made no attempt to deny the world thought Bella Swan was deceased. She never answered all of his questions, nor had she admitted it directly that they all thought she died, but something about her admitting, 'not the kind of ghost you mean.' She knew what they were led to believe.

He couldn't imagine what they'd done to her to convince her, the horrendous lie was the best method. The first thing that came to mind was bloodthirsty vampires still pursued her. His muscles twitched and ached under his skin. Jacob turned his head side to side, easily making his neck crack and pop. He'd actually stayed on the bed all night for a change, since he barely slept. The comfortable mattress didn't help much. He still felt like he'd been run over by a dump truck. He took a power nap on his lunch break and a long hot shower before leaving. Nothing seemed to shake his aches and pains. The car turned the corner and he recognized the name of Bella's workplace. He thanked the driver and told him he'd call when he was ready to return to the hotel.

Jacob opened the mostly glass door by the handle. It had one of those jingly bells to alert the people behind the counter, a customer had arrived. He quickly did a scan of the room, no Bella. A few pairs of eyes assessed him. A woman at the register greeted him and asked what she could get him? He hadn't planned on ordering anything, but he had to admit the aroma from the coffee brewing was pretty damn enticing. Before he could speak, a shiny stainless swinging door flew open. At that very moment, another scent blew through and he was filled with Bella. He wasn't technically supernatural any longer, but that fresh, fruity scent mixed with vanilla would never be forgotten. Their eyes were drawn together, he stilled and she froze. Jacob was seeing Bella, alive and in the flesh for the first time since he danced in private with her at her wedding. She broke him again that night, worse than when he was injured by the newborn, as she babbled on about having a proper honeymoon. The Cullens shattered him when they said she didn't make it, but at this moment, seeing her breathing, still existing... secretly knitted pieces of him back together.

The hostess must have seen the trance Jacob and Bella were in because he had some recollection of her speaking, "Oh you're Bella's friend. Well, I'll let her take you over then."

Bella walked towards him. She came from behind the counter and walked straight into his arms. She looked exactly like his memory of her, only slightly more mature. She actually had a little more meat on her bones. He felt like she'd caught up finally to her actual age and transitioned into a woman's body. He had no trouble feeling every supple portion of her in the hug. Her new curves suited her nicely. He couldn't believe their first hug actually felt stiff and impersonal at first. Those weren't the types of embraces they were accustomed to but after she sighed against his chest and whispered his name into his shirt, he relaxed and hugged her like old times.

Jacob took those few seconds to properly breathe her in. This was real. He had Bella back in his arms. She was alive and he didn't know what she'd been through. He also had a fiance waiting back home for him, but for that one moment, nothing else in all the universe mattered. _She_ was all that mattered.

* * *

Bella broke the spell by loosening her hold and backing up a bit. He watched her take a good look. She slowly shook her head side to side. "Still beautiful."

He arched a brow, "I thought it was it was sorta?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards a corner booth. "Yeah, about that. My vocabulary at the time was grossly understated. Come on, this is the most private spot here. We can talk."

He regretted the second she let go of his fingers, so she could scoot into the opposite side of the booth. He knew he was staring with his mouth gaping wide open, but he couldn't help it. She was a vision. She'd just gotten off work. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and if she'd worn makeup earlier, the heat of working in a kitchen had erased all traces of it, but she looked amazing in black slacks and a plain white oxford complete with coffee stains. She tossed an apron on the seat next to her when they sat down.

"Coffee?"

"Um, yeah, sure."

Bella yelled to her co-worker to bring it over. She smiled sweetly when she bragged about their coffee. "I just put on a Kona blend to brew. It's fresh and amazing. You won't be disappointed. We sell the best coffee in all the city. Those schmucks over at the big commercial chain don't know what they're missing."

The woman, Ariana put the mugs in front of them along with a vast assortment of sweeteners and fresh cream. "Anything else I can get you two?"

"Jake?"

"No, coffee's all. Thanks."

They sat there not saying much else. Bella doctored her mug with a few additives, but if she was insisting it was a great coffee, Jacob didn't need anything else. He'd take it black.

"So..."

"So..." she mimicked.

"You work here?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Care to elaborate. Last time I saw you, you were marrying into an insanely rich family of bloodsuckers. What happened? Did they invest poorly? Did Carlisle lose his ability to practice medicine? Is everyone working menial jobs now? Let me guess, Edward is a gardener or something?"

She rolled her eyes and took a long sip from her mug, perhaps avoiding his questions as long as she could. "No, as far as I know they all live the same way as they used to. They're still richer than God and I'm certain Edward has never gotten his hands dirty. However, I don't live with them anymore. I haven't in a long time."

He sat there, trying to keep a lid on what was brewing. Did she honestly think this nonchalant attitude was going to fly? He thought she was fucking dead? Everyone else that she knew, still did because he kept his word and hadn't uttered a word even though he'd gotten a call from Kay early that morning.

* * *

His fiance chatted away like everything was normal until she realized he wasn't talking back.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

He lied and said sure it was, he just needed to get a move on and get downstairs so he'd be on time to the first meeting. She accepted that excuse and let him go, not before saying her usual, "I love you, I love you, I love you," to which he seriously had the nerve to only acknowledge with a _hmph_ sound.

He also got a text from his father and two from Quil. He had a checklist of places he wanted him to visit and document with photographs plus several souvenirs he wanted. Jacob didn't even reply to let him down easy and all he told Billy was that he was busy, but the temptation to call Charlie was overwhelming. He still kept mum. He needed to hear her story first.

This outing at Bella's work was the only place he'd ventured away from the hotel other than a sandwich shop across the street. Quil would have to make his own trip to California. He said he promised Claire at trip to Disneyland if she made straight A's this year. That was finally a not-so peculiar relationship. They'd settled into a regular big brother/little sister relationship. Quil dated women, a lot actually and Claire routinely told him he was smelly and annoying. Jacob honestly thought those two would be alright in the end, never mates, but lifelong friends.

* * *

Bella stopped slurping down her coffee. "I still know your expressions, Jake. You're waiting for the rest. I get that. I promised the truth and I'll give it, no matter how painful it might be to hear, but I've been on my feet since 5 AM. I need this cup of coffee like I need oxygen to breath, so let me finish and then I'll spill. Why don't you tell me a little about your life in the meantime."

To hell with small talk, she walked right into his aggressive line of questioning. "Funny, you should mention breathing, because how is it that you are? You should be the roaming dead now, feeding off critters of the forest or scattered ashes in a lovely meadow according to Alice. You knew what they told us, why didn't you find a way to tell us the truth? In the grand scheme of things, California is pretty damn close to Washington. It's been eight years, you could've walked it by now and this little phone trick. You seriously have the same damn number? I thought for a second maybe it only receives calls, but you called my hotel so that's not the case, is it?"

He quickly was losing the warm tingly feeling she gave him by being near. The longer he sat there looking at her, the madder he got. Bella clearly was living a life of her own free will. That said volumes about her intentions as far as he was concerned.

She clanged the cup on the table. He had her shaken, like literally. He could see her hands trembling. She gnawed her lip in between her teeth. "I... I'm so sorry. It was unavoidable."

"Unavoidable, you say?" He dug in pocket and retrieved his phone. He produced the picture that haunted him and shoved it in front of her. He wanted her to read her epitaph. He wanted her to see the words: **Precious daughter** , that her mother insisted be included. Jacob suspected the Cullens concocted this story. Bella always wimped out and never stood up for herself around them. However, she was an accomplice in this deception, she had to be. That was the only reasonable conclusion he had time to draw. "Look at it. That's only one of the results of your cruel, unavoidable lie. There's so much more. This only begins to scratch the surface."

She shielded her eyes and pushed his phone away. "Are you saying, something's wrong with my parents, because I just can't..." her voice trailed off with emotion.

Jacob explained to her that Renee's marriage to Phil crumbled, and she was back in Phoenix with an old friend working some job she hated. She didn't keep much contact with Charlie. He was pretty much the same old Charlie, not quite as social. He worked, fished and drank, but did most of those things alone. It was a rarity their dads got together any longer.

"I hate that, for both of them. I'm really sorry. It honestly breaks my heart."

"Call them. Tell them."

"I can't."

"Why the fuck not?" he banged on the table for added emphasis.

Bella looked up and noticed a few prying eyes glancing in their direction. "Can we keep it down to a low roar? I still have to work with these people?"

That really infuriated him. She's the one that invited him to her job in the first place. "Fine, let's go somewhere else, so I can yell as loud as I need to and you won't be shamed or embarrassed." There it was, the ever present need to protect her even when she was in the wrong. He never could escape it as long as he lived. Suddenly, the booth felt more cramped and a few degrees hotter.

Bella started what he knew was going to be a piss poor excuse, because nothing would be good enough to justify tricking all those that loved her this way. "I know you're so angry and hurt and confused right now. I get it. I deserve everything you say to me, but please, can I just explain it all and then you can say whatever you want?"

"Fine, Bells. You have my full attention." He thought this better be good. He almost missed being a wolf because the only thing that might make this better was being able to destroy that leech for convincing her to agree to this horrible deception.

Bella looked at him in such a way, her essence brushed against his soul. She saw him, all the way into the deep core of his existence. No one ever looked at him that way. He felt the energy pass between the two of them, just before she reached in and ripped his heart out of his chest. "It was me. I made up the lie. I forced the Cullens to tell it. I was there listening all those times you called, when they broke the news to Charlie, I heard every word."

Her fingers slid across the table and touched his. He jerked both his hands back and secured them in his lap so he didn't punch anything, not that he'd hit her, but breaking the booth or the wall was a possibility. "Don't you dare touch me. Why would you do that?"

"To protect all of you."

"Bullshit. I didn't need protection. I was a spirit wolf and I was on my way to being the strongest of them all. You know I was meant to be alpha."

"Was?"

"I quit. All of us did. There's no pack, just us... brothers and sister for life. We don't need to still phase to be a family."

"Oh, even more reason not to bring my troubles back around."

"You're speaking in riddles. I assume you mean bloodsuckers. Is that why you live in sunny LA? I still have trouble believing he let you go so easily."

Bella went back to the beginning. She started talking about being swept away to a private island on her honeymoon. It honestly was the last story he desired to hear, but when she started to turn a few shades of pink and admitted they never consummated the relationship, his ears perked up. "We couldn't. I mean, you were right, he would've killed me. I saw it in his eyes. Something happened when we got so close and it took all my strength and pleading to snap him out of the strange frenzy he was in. I was a wreck. I literally looked like an abuse victim and we never even got completely naked."

Jacob didn't hold back a growl. He swore he hadn't made that noise in years, but it came easily thinking about that leech pawing all over and her pleading for him to stop. She must have been petrified. She continued. It was a wake up call. She and Edward would never be completely compatible as human and vampire. "But something changed. After seeing him that way, I just remember thinking, I didn't want anyone to ever see me act out of control. I never wanted to be overcome by bloodlust. I didn't want to be a monster. Hell, I still faint if I see a drop of blood. How did I seriously think I could be one of them? There was just no way."

She said the family all met back at one of the Cullen's other residences far away from Forks. She had lots to discuss and Aro had already been in contact. She'd briefly given the pack the head's up about the creepy Italian rulers and their little ultimatum about her right after the newborn fight. Jacob had all the others in agreement. She couldn't be forced. If push came to shove and they actually followed through with their threats, the pack would push back to protect her. She had that promised to her all those years ago. He still wouldn't accept that as her excuse for lying about being dead.

Bella went on to explain that Carlisle thought he could appease Aro for the time being. The actual struggle was how she fit in with their family. She thought she already did, but as tedious days ticked by, she reconsidered. "I thought we could go with plan B, and that we'd attend Dartmouth together. I could still be Edward's wife. I loved him but we both could see the writing on the wall. It wasn't like it had been before. Something changed, I knew it. He knew it too, but both of us had kept silent about it since Italy."

Jacob shifted in his seat. He was so damn uncomfortable, he almost felt like he needed to take a run. He didn't run around on four legs any longer, but he might go back to the hotel and take advantage of the gym on the lower level. He might have something to do with the change Bella spoke of. He knew what happened before Italy, before the damn tick ruined everything from being how it was meant to be.

He kept quiet. She kept talking.

She said she started to get sick, really sick. "It was weird, I'd been around them so much but actually being cooped up with them and never having human interaction was doing something to me. I got my own place near them. It was the only way and it alleviated a lot of my symptoms. By that time, I had to do something more decisive. Dad was calling all the time and then Aro called again. The first lie to him started everything. Carlisle told him the change didn't go as planned. He was going to tell him I perished, but then he worried Aro would check the validity of that story out. Instead, he said, I had some sort of unexplained immunity. He actually bought that one because he knew I'd been bitten by James."

"Well, then case closed, problem solved... you can't be a vampire or so he thought. The bloodsuckers gave you a sickness or whatever it was. All of them were hazardous to your health like I always said. Why didn't you come home then?"

"Because Jake, Aro was even more fascinated with me after that. He called, wrote, we actually Google chatted. He thinks I'm the damn missing link between our two worlds. He keeps tabs on me. He won't let it go. If I went back to Forks, he'd know and then everyone I care about would be at risk. Now that I know you all moved on and have normal lives, I know my decision was the right one. I feel horrible about my parents, but you don't know how many times I've dreamed about them having their throats ripped out or worse, them with blood red eyes. I don't want whatever cursed me long ago to touch their lives. I have no idea why the supernatural seeks me out or how I'm connected. Maybe Aro's right and I'm a freak of nature. I told Edward to make you all believe I was dead, because that's what would keep you out of harm's way. I regret the pain I caused, but I don't regret that you're safe. Look at you. You look amazing and you're here on business. I can tell you're successful. What is it that you do?"

"I'm an architect."

"Wow, I never knew you wanted to do that. That's great. I'm proud of you."

Ariana ended up at their table again and asked if they wanted a refill but they both declined. Jacob was still trying to digest all that she'd admitted to him. It was a fucked up bunch of mess. He wasn't sure what to even say. She was wrong but he knew in her twisted mind, she thought she was right.

He wanted to know why LA and if she ever talked to the Cullens. "Well, Aro seems pleased the vampire population is quite low here and he thinks as little contact I have with their kind, the better. He knows my family thinks I'm dead even though I never bothered to change my name, he's confident I won't go blabbing what I know at this point."

"What the fuck, Bells? Is this guy like an old, pervy uncle or something? Are you pen pals?" It seemed to him like she had a weird sort of relationship with the vampire leader.

"It's complicated. I don't trust him and he doesn't trust me. I'm a threat in his twisted mind and yet we regard each other with a certain reverence. Alice still insists he's a loose canon. He might demand to see me again one day. Of course, he could test Carlisle's lie if he really wanted to, so who knows. I need to be careful who I associate with."

"And who do you associate with?"

"Well, to answer your question about the Cullens, Edward annulled the marriage. I talk to them but not often, mainly by email. It's less personal. I take care of myself. I've grown up a lot. I only stayed near them the first couple of years. I work here, I go to night school and take online classes when I can and I live with two great roommates. I keep my circle of friends very small. That's the way I like it."

"So this suits you... a coffee shop, and living with a couple of chicks? You probably keep late hours, and you're completely unprotected? I'm glad you saw the light with the tick, but I can't believe you're so exposed when your creepy Uncle Leech could send someone after you at any time."

"No, I'm careful. I take precautions. I have a taser and pepper spray and I never said I live with two women." He knew damn well those weapons would do nothing to a vampire and so did she, but he was more concerned about this roommate business all of the sudden.

"What, two dudes?"

"No, one man, one woman... Barry and Monica. They're great. Barry hovers and he takes really good care of me. He's all about safety too. Monica is a nurturer. In a way, I think I've let them fill the void after being estranged from Charlie and Renee."

"Is it one of those freaky relationships and you call this guy Barry, Daddy only you mean something else when she say it?"

She crinkled her nose trying to figure out what he meant. He was mentally kicking himself under that table for hinting at being jealous but he was seething, actually. Bella lived with a fucking man that she said protected her. It was wrong on so many levels to him.

"Eww, gross. No, it's not like that at all. We're only friends."

"Yeah, well apparently you're still very naive about how the male mind functions. If he lives with you, he thinks about banging you."

She laughed in his face. "You, so have the wrong idea. Trust me, I am not Barry's type and he's never fantasized about banging me as you so delicately put it. I'm a little too feminine for him, if you know what I mean."

Jacob let all her words seep into his conscious thoughts before the light bulb went off. "Oh, so Barry's gay?"

"Yes, totally."

"So, totally gay. Is that a real thing, different from just gay?"

She kicked him for real under the table. "I thought you needed the extra reassurance for some reason. He's actually very decent and I bet you two would like each other if you ever met."

The lightened up atmosphere quickly disappeared again. Jacob scowled. Had he heard everything he needed to hear? He kinda thought he had. He couldn't say he felt better or worse, he felt numb. "I need to go." He said abruptly. He picked up his phone again to call the service, but she stopped him.

"I can give you a ride." He didn't think that was wise. She pressed. "I mean, it's not far. I'm pretty sure I know exactly where it is. It's practically on my way."

"Fine." Jacob stood up, dug in his pocket and tossed a twenty on the table. Bella told him that wasn't necessary, she got coffee for free. "For Ariana, she did a hell of a job pretending she wasn't listening to every bit of our conversation. I'm afraid you'll be the center of workplace gossip for weeks."

Bella huffed and blew her stray hairs out of her face. "Ugh. She certainly doesn't deserve that kind of tip." They walked past the register. She paused and added, "Because she sucks."

"Bye Bella, bye Bella's friend," a few people chimed together.

* * *

Jacob looked to her to lead them. He had no idea what she was driving. She eventually stopped in front of a God awful, dull blue car. He frowned without thinking. "Don't be hater. It's the first car I ever bought all on my own."

She unlocked the doors, but his actually was hard to open even for him. She apologized that passenger door had issues. It moaned and creaked when he shut it soundly. "It's not going to fall off, is it?"

She rolled her eyes again. Jacob looked around at the interior which was littered with generic coffee cups from her job and crumpled papers. Bella turned the key and the car eventually came to life after a couple of false starts. "Jesus, Bells. This is literally a piece of shit. Who the hell is your mechanic?"

"Ha ha, you're a car snob. I don't have a mechanic, just an oil and lube place I go when I think about it. The car's fine for what I need it for, getting from point A to point B."

He didn't stop there. "Couldn't the Cullens at least leave you something that came off the assembly line this decade?"

"Of course, they offered, but Edward would have been completely outrageous. I wanted to blend in. I also didn't want anymore handouts. I had to learn to survive all by myself."

"So, you mean to tell me, they let you go off without a penny to your name."

She heaved out a frustrated sigh. She was holding back one more secret. "Fine, Carlisle pays for my tuition. That's it though. I don't have a special credit card or stacks of money under my bed. It's really pricey to earn a degree, especially now that I'm finishing up my master's."

"Wow, a master's. In what?"

"Cultural anthropology, with an emphasis on the cultural variations among humans."

He shook his head. Did he hear her correctly? "Huh? That's an actual field of study?"

"Of course, silly. You're an educated man yourself. I'm sure you've heard of anthropology."

"Yeah, but not all that extra stuff you added on. Does that actually pay decent?"

"Well, maybe someday when I find the right position, plus I minored in journalism. I can write abstracts, do case studies, etc."

For the life of him, he couldn't understand why she went down that path, but he knew the trip to the hotel was a little ways and the traffic was heavier so he asked a few more questions. "And what was the draw that pulled you into the exciting world of anthropology?" To him, it sounded boring as hell and nothing like the Bella he remembered, but after their earlier conversation, did he actually know her at all?

She said it was brought to her attention her first semester in a Native American studies course. He was briefly moved that her desire to study these sort of human relations across various cultures had something to do with him. She went onto explain her branch of anthropology tried to make sense of how people react to their surroundings and that's where some of life's basic questions were asked. "Why are we here? How did we get like this? Why does this way of life sustain us? How does our station in life relate to our ancestors?"

"Right, a study in human behavior. Maybe you should be your first case study, because you make absolutely make no sense and are probably the poster child for how not to behave."

She was getting pissed after he'd dogged her car and her career path. He could tell by how tight she held the steering wheel and the way she cursed so much at the other driver's, even imaginary ones he didn't see near them. Bella knew she had no business mouthing off to him for anything after the torture she put him through. He pretty much had a free pass for life if he wanted. Not that he planned on them still being friends, but if they were, he thought it would be funny to push her until she neared a cataclysmic eruption. He imagined wiggling his long finger in her face, "Uh, uh, uuhhh, remember when you made me think you were dead for eight damn years. You can't get pissed at me."

Damn, he missed fighting with her. He'd actually reached a point in his frustration where he couldn't show her that sort of emotion. He was being very calm and reserved. She, surely expected more out of him, but he had very little to give back to her.

Again, she apologized.

He didn't accept it. However, he did give her a hint of what bothered him the most. He stared out the window, because he didn't want her to see the pain in his eyes. "You should've trusted me. I don't know why I'm surprised. You never had enough faith that I could protect you as good as _he_ could."

"That's not true. Why can't you understand, it had nothing to do with trust or faith? I needed to be able to protect you the only way I could."

Jacob needed to change the subject or else he'd lose his shit over her trying to justify her betrayal for his own good. He was engaged, he kept trying to picture Kaleigh's face throughout the conversation. A few times he really struggled with it. Bella was a liar and a sadist, but before he walked away for good, he needed know if she had someone too. "So school, work, roommates... got much time for anything else?"

"Is that your way of asking if I date?"

"No, anything means just that? It means more, less or nothing."

"No, I don't actually date much." He felt some type of relief swirl through his system. Why, was beyond him. The feeling didn't last when she elaborated. "I mean, I've seen some guys. I was determined to have some experiences: new city, new life, new me. I'm just very focused and busy right now, so I'm happily single."

He tried to hide how it made him feel. He didn't need her to spell out what experiences meant. She shoved him in the arm. "Get real, Jake. I wasn't going to be a virgin forever. I'm 26 years old. So, what about you? How many hearts did you break sowing your wild oats in college?"

He shifted in the seat to face her. She glanced at him but tried to focus solely on the road. "I didn't break a single damn heart because I knew firsthand how shitty that felt. Instead, I fell in love with the perfect girl."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm happy for you. Truly, I am."

"Our wedding's next month."

Her fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter until he saw the veins bulging on the tops of her hands.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Congratulations then."

"Thanks. Her name's Kaleigh." He wanted the news to really sink in and for Bella to be hit soundly with the fact she was a real person. He'd moved on from her and was living his life.

"Is she a... um, you know?"

"No, she's not. I told you that was not an issue for me and it never would be. We didn't need any of that supernatural bullshit. We found each other the normal way. She doesn't even know what I used to be."

She pulled into the front entrance of the hotel about then. He was relieved because he probably couldn't spend another second in that crappy car of hers. The air in there was stifling and intoxicating all at once. Bella reached over and squeezed over his hand. "I'm really sorry, but I'm happy for you. I mean it Jake. You deserve a good life. It's all I ever wanted. Take care and I..." she seemed to be having trouble with the rest.

"I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon."

"Sure, I figured, it's the end of the week. Well, have a nice trip back. Please, don't complicate any other lives. I need to know you'll keep my secret." A loud horn blared in the background. The valet was trying to get her attention. She was in a no parking zone. He didn't respond to her request. He just stepped out and slammed the creaky door. Jacob started walking towards the hotel entrance. He never even said goodbye. He turned back around to catch her pulling away. It was for the best. He should let her go just like that. It was fitting not to say goodbye. She told him goodbye the night she got married. That should've been the end of them.

* * *

All he knew, he was beat and that he had to get some sleep before dinner. The restless night and her betrayal took every last bit of his energy. He felt like shit. Jacob fell face down on the bed and passed out for almost two hours. He wished parts of it had been a terrible nightmare, but he remembered everything clearly as soon as he opened his eyes to the dark room.

He pulled out his phone prepared to check on Kay. Instead, the screen blinked with a text message.

 **It was nice seeing you again. Goodbye Jake.**

He wasn't going to tell her goodbye, that's what he decided, but something hijacked his brain. If he didn't know better, he swore it was an alter ego.

His fingers quickly tapped out words. **Wanna meet me for a drink?**

 **Um. I don't think that's wise.**

 **Since when have you ever been wise? Bring your friends. I want to meet them.**

 **Oh, okay. I guess that might work.**

The hotel bar was nice, very public. That's the only way the final meeting would be acceptable. He told her to give him an hour and she responded they would all be there.

Another text came in from Kaleigh. She wanted to know what he was up to. He sent out a reply that was a blatant lie.

 **Nothing much. Really tired. Going to catch up on my rest tonight.**

Jacob pulled himself off the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. He flipped on the bright light. Maybe it would wake him up properly, so he could visualize the dangerous mistake he was toying with making. Kaleigh was a good person. She loved him. He was happy with her. They were about to start their lives together. She basically only had one flaw-she wasn't Bella.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I swear this chapter had so much to absorb. It's a bit overwhelming, but you know how much I love your predictions. I want to know what you think of Bella's excuses? What's going on with Jacob? How many secrets does this story potentially hold?**_

 _ **Who thinks they shouldn't have that drink?**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**~I don't say this enough, but if you read my stories whether you review or not, I honestly do appreciate you for taking time out of your busy lives to devote a few minutes to enjoy my attempts at trying to entertain you. There are actually a couple of moments of comic relief in this update because I worked you over in the last chapter with emotions and there's tons more of all that, so this is a bit lighter. Love to hear if anything gave you a chuckle.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 4: Maybe It's Not Goodbye

Bella was practically snatched inside while she was unlocking the front door. Barry was already home. He made his own hours, but Monica was still working. Thursdays were her late day.

"Well, how was it? Was it great or did it suck? Did he get fat or look old? Don't tell me, my worst fear, he's balding?"

She tried to think about his questions in order. "It was unexpected, but sometimes predictable. Parts were great and other things sucked." It was great being near Jake, but it sucked how much she hurt him. It double sucked he was about to get married even though she assured him she happy about that. "And Jake looked absolutely amazing, not fat, old or bald. The years have been really good to him." How was it possible he looked so much better? Her memories hadn't done him justice.

Barry wanted more details than she really wanted to give. "Can I just take a nap? I really don't want to talk about it."

"Fine, do you want me to draw you a bath?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice." She honestly, didn't let him baby her nonstop, but sometimes it was nice when he offered to take care of her.

"B, you can tell me. I mean, I'll listen and not judge, but it's plain to see, you've held back lots. This guy means everything to you. Why can't you be together? What are you running from?"

Bella had never told him the whole story. She honestly could never ever tell these things to Monica. She couldn't keep a secret to save her life. She knew she could trust Barry. "I've kept some deep, dark secrets. Jacob is never going to forgive me. Besides, he has someone else. A fiance."

"He might be lying about that. It's probably a defense mechanism."

"No, Jake doesn't tell lies. That's my specialty."

"Deep, dark secrets, huh? What did you do, kill someone?" He laughed at his joke.

She confessed her crime, "Yes."

Barry's eyes bulged. "Holy shit. I was kidding. Oh my God! Who? Why? Is your name really Bella?"

"Yes, that's my name, and the person I killed was me."

"So confused right now, honey."

"I faked my death. Jacob found out I was alive when I called him last night like a crazy person."

Bella tried to explain the story as best as she could leaving out vampires and wolves because she couldn't tell him that much of the secret. Her half ass explanations made her sound even more ridiculous. Barry didn't get it, but he still hugged her and let her cry it out. He wasn't going to judge her. She fully expected some unsolicited advice later, but all she cared about after her epic cry was to lose herself in a hot bath with a lavender bath bomb. She soaked for a long while until she just about shriveled up. Then she went to her room, hoping for a short nap before dinner. Bella was sad he didn't say goodbye, so she texted out a parting message before falling sound asleep.

* * *

She woke up to an incoming text, which was completely unexpected. He was pretty clear about how he was feeling when he exited her car. She knew that was the end and he never wanted to see her again. What changed? There was no way she could meet him for a drink. She politely declined, but then he asked for Monica and Barry to come. That didn't sound quite as complicated. She'd have her friends by her side for support.

Bella stumbled out of her room with her phone in hand. Barry was making sandwiches and Monica was asking him a million questions about how their meeting went. He was being pretty tight-lipped.

"Guys, Jacob wants us to come to his hotel for a drink?"

They were ecstatic, almost too excited, which started her worrying once again. She regretted saying they'd come. They probably shouldn't go. She definitely shouldn't. If her roommates wanted to meet Jacob so bad, they could go without her.

Barry shoved a sandwich between her fingers. "Eat. You need something in your stomach or else the alcohol will cause a problem. Mon, go raid her closet. Find something decent. Better yet, check your closet instead."

Bella looked down at her holey tee and sweatpants. She definitely couldn't wear that, but she wasn't going to overdo it. She wasn't going to try and impress a very taken, old friend.

"No, I'll get my own clothes. Thank you. We're not going to make this a whole thing. It's going to be casual."

"Let me guess, you were going to wear those hideous cotton granny panties and that blue polka-dot bra?"

Bella glanced down at her thin, pale yellow shirt. Of course, he saw her polka-dots. It was her favorite bra, the only one that made her feel like she wasn't wearing one at all. She liked her cotton underwear too. They didn't ride up her ass. Why would her choice in undergarments make any difference?

Barry was shaking his head affirmative, but hers was moving side to side. He looked conniving. "No."

"Oh yes! I'm thinking sexy undies... black lace and satin. You know the special set we bought you for your last birthday? The ones you never wear, mind you." She shook her head harder. "Yes, you damn well better put them on. You can't meet your _one_ without them. You need to feel sexy and confident, show him what he's been missing. Shit, I just realized I haven't gotten you a free wax in ages. Did you trim the hedges during your soak?"

Bella put both her hands up and waved them rapidly to slow his ass down. He was overstepping, nothing new there. Jacob wasn't going to be anywhere near her underwear or her hedges. "It's a drink, in a public place. I don't need sexy lingerie, hot clothes or a waxed coochie. He's engaged! We are ancient history and it never was like that with us anyway. And for the last time, stop calling him my _one._ That shit doesn't exist!"

"Fine, but I want you to cover all your bases. It's obvious this guy has a hold over you if he still makes your secret spot tingle. That says something after... how many years?"

"Eight and what? I never said he makes anything tingle. I'm rethinking my decision to allow you both to meet him. Please don't embarrass me."

Monica joined in about guys that gave her that sort of buzz down below just by a look. She insisted it was rare and Bella again insisted it never happened even though she knew it damn well it did so many times with Jake. She never admitted the truth, because who in the hell talks so freely about things so private?

Monica had a skirt in her hands. Bella knew the skirt. It was her roommate's sure thing skirt. She was not about to wear that sexy garment. Jacob didn't expect her to wear clothes like that. He'd never seen her dress in those types of clothes, so why start now. She told them again they were barking up the wrong tree. Jesus, those two needed their own dates and to stay out of her love life.

"Stop living in the past, B. You two knew each other as kids. This is a brand new day. It's time to show him how you are as a woman, so he can make an informed decision whether you two are really over or not."

* * *

They had just released Barry's car to the valet and were about to enter the hotel. Bella straightened out the black skirt which was entirely too short and tight. She felt like a damn fool in heels, but Monica said they were a must.

Monica insisted the skirt was now her property. "You look so much better than I ever did. My ass always fell flat in that thing."

Bella told her no, but Monica said if she got lucky then it was definitely hers, if not, she was giving it to Goodwill. Bella chirped, "Well, Goodwill's getting a pricey donation Monday, because for the last time, you have the wrong idea about Jacob."

She drew the line when it came to the red top they picked out for her. She chose a stylish, dark blue blouse instead. She felt like it was professional, but attractive. She'd worn it a few times for some school functions. They struggled over the details of her appearance, but she let Barry do her hair and Monica applied her makeup. She was way overdone, but she felt kinda pretty. She knew her roomies were content they won the war. She did have on the black matching bra and panties. Damn them. She was mum about the state of her private parts even though Barry asked again just before they arrived. She knew it made absolutely no difference, because it was just a drink. However if any man, not Jake, she knew it would never be Jake, saw her nether regions, he shouldn't be grossed out. She took care of things.

They were almost to the bar entrance when she felt the urge to go over the plan one last time. "Okay, once more. It's introductions, small talk, one drink and then we go. Jacob has business and a flight tomorrow. That's it, right guys?"

"Yep, sure."

"Of course, B. You're in the driver's seat. We'll follow your lead."

"One drink or else you know I get stupid."

Barry brushed one stray hair out of her face and winked at her, "Exactly. We wouldn't dare allow you to be reckless. One drink."

* * *

One hour later, Bella was laughing like a fool sipping the tail end of her second glass of red wine. Jacob got along with them better than she would've guessed. They were talking sports and favorite movie quotes like old friends. Of course, they stared at him for the first twenty minutes. She hadn't elaborated on his appearance before. Jacob asked to be excused for a minute. He left them alone at the corner table. She felt a twist in her gut. Was he just taking a restroom break or was he checking in with his fiance? She tried not to dwell on it.

As soon he was out of range, Monica said what was on her mind. "Oh my God! He is so hot. How were you only that man's friend? So help me, if you don't make a move soon, I will."

Barry swirled his drink in his hand, "Me too."

"Shut up. You two are crazy. We're just friends and Jacob's still pissed at me." He wasn't nearly as chilly as the car ride before, but he was mad. He had to be. He was only being pleasant because of her friends.

"Have we taught you nothing over the years? He might be pissed, but he doesn't look at you like a friend. I can practically feel the heat across the table. What's been going on over there under the tablecloth?"

She knew they could hold their liquor way better than she could, so there was no way they were drunk. However, they were seeing something that wasn't there. "Nothing. We're not even touching." Once or twice there had been an incidental leg brush, but that was it. They weren't playing footsie. Although, when he surprised her with a hug before they had a seat, she swore he moaned against her hair and his hand went a little below her waistline in the embrace. It made that tingle happen in dark places that they mercilessly teased her about earlier.

Jacob rejoined their little party. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope. We were just chatting. You and I are pretty similar, I hear. Bella says you design things. So do I?"

"Oh yeah. What do you build?"

"Confidence, friend. I'm a genius with the shears, a blow dryer and the flat iron."

Jacob touched her arm and he didn't pull his hand back. He leaned in and whispered too close to her neck. "I'm lost. What does he mean?"

More tingles.

"Um, Barry's a hairdresser."

"Master hairdresser. Our Bella always understates. I take care of these girls' needs. Don't they both look fabulous."

"Yeah, they do." He said _they_ but Bella only felt his eyes on her. She couldn't stop focusing on that hand on her arm. He started to move it. He was sure to let go now, but instead he slid it the rest of the way down until he was toying with her fingers under the table cloth, directly over her thigh. She froze briefly, but when he went for holding her hand, she laced her fingers with his like it was the most natural position for them.

Barry took a sip of his drink and then pointed to her with his glass. "Well, that one is a bit picky with her hair. She'll let me style it, trim her ends or color it occasionally, but she won't give me free reign like Mon. I've always wanted to give her a short style but she won't trust me. I think it'd be hot with her bone structure."

Jacob looked at her again. He admitted he always liked her hair long. She knew that by the way he touched it years ago. She might have kept it that way for him and this was the first time she admitted it to herself.

Bella had practically lost her touch with reality somewhere between her second glass of alcohol and Jacob touching her. Surely, she didn't hear them right.

Barry and Monica were standing up. "Well, we know you two have tons more catching up to do, so we're going to head out. I have a super early client tomorrow. She's very high end," he whispered, "movie star."

Monica agreed, "And I have that early morning thing too."

Bella knew they were both bold-faced liars. Barry had never cut a movie star's hair, some fledgling actresses maybe, but movie star was a stretch and she and Monica had Friday's off. The only early morning thing she did on Friday, was sleep in.

Jacob stood to shake their hands. Bella made an attempt to get up as well. If they were leaving, then so was she. Barry's hands clamped on her shoulders firmly. He wasn't allowing her up. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Be reckless for once. Love ya."

They disappeared and Jacob sat back down. "I'm so sorry. They're honestly great friends. I'm sure it looks strange, them ditching me. They don't know everything obviously. I should leave soon."

Jacob licked his lips while watching her mouth move with meaningless explanations. She suddenly felt like hers were also dry. Her entire mouth felt that way. "I like 'em. I feel better about your situation. They've got your back. Would you like another glass of wine, Bells?"

She inadvertently giggled. "Oh, no two is definitely my limit. If I drank a third. Who knows what I might do?"

Jacob waved at the waitress. "One last refill, please."

She openly flirted with him, "Why, Jacob Black, are you trying to get me drunk?"

 _ **~Thanks so much for reading.**_

 ** _Please let me know what you think will happen next. I swear if I get a bunch of reviews, I might post Ch. 5 super quick. Who knows what might happen if Bella drinks that 3rd glass of wine. She might even go to Jacob's hotel room to watch television or "something." ;)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**~A/N I should have gotten this to you yesterday. I'm so sorry. I loved the pleading guest reviews. You rock! I used the Meghan Trainor/John Legend song for chapter inspiration, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You". I highly recommend you listen to it for vibes. I probably listened at least a hundred times to finish this chapter.**_

Chapter 5: Like I'm Gonna Lose You

The trek upstairs was all a blur, the third glass of wine was hardly touched. Bella was pulled into the darkened room without hesitation. The only light he had on was from the cracked bathroom door and partially opened drapes. So far, down in the bar and the entire elevator ride up, only touches and a general closeness had occurred. Bella was relieved when the other couple got off on the 9th floor. Jacob pulled her closer to his body and buried his nose in hair. She was greatly anticipating the kiss that was about to be delivered. Bella could already taste his sweet breath laced with bourbon and mystery. How had he convinced her to come up to his room without even asking? He merely took her hand and led the way. She would've followed him anywhere at that point. It wasn't just the wine, she was sobering up rapidly. She'd been dying for him to kiss her, since he walked into the cafe that afternoon. Maybe, she'd been craving his kisses ever since the mountain top and that's why any substitute always fell flat.

She tried to say something poignant, but he touched her mouth with his fingertip. "No talking." She grabbed one quick breath before he pressed his mouth against hers and ignited her into flames. It was a kiss that would change everything.

He pressed her hard against the wall. They hadn't broken the initial kiss before Jacob hoisted her up, holding tight to her ass. The skirt rode up high on her legs for her to accommodate his body. Lips and hands were everywhere. It was reckless and sloppy and so completely thrilling, she couldn't contain her excitement that it was finally happening with him.

Speaking of hard. Something quite solid and impressive was pushing against her. If he'd ever been so aroused with her before, she never knew it. Teenage boys had trouble with such things and they'd been close before, but never this close. Bella figured out quickly he was well portioned. He was big all over and the excitement trickled into those sexy black panties.

He groaned. "Fuck, you smell good."

She wasn't sure how good his sense of smell still was. Maybe he meant her shampoo or her body spray, but it was strange how he said that at the exact time, her arousal peaked. Bella's life hadn't gone as planned when she was younger. She finally felt like she was making sound decisions during the years she'd been in California. She knew Jacob would never tell her about Kaleigh if it weren't true. She knew what staying with him tonight meant. They were about to become cheaters, but once they started, there was no turning back. The force of them together was too powerful. Maybe this is the way it absolutely had to be. They had to get it out of their systems and then they'd able to live their lives in peace. It would be a special parting memory. _Mistake_ never even crossed her mind once she tasted his lips.

He walked them to the bed where he ceremoniously dropped her. Jacob reached for her uncomfortable shoes. She purred at the feel of his fingers massaging over her arches. He must have known she was in misery in those things. His hands slowly journeyed up her legs. He paused and pulled back. She panicked a few seconds, thinking he might have come to his senses but when she saw him loosen his belt, she knew he was committed. Her fingers nimbly worked the buttons of her top, because she couldn't trust him to be as delicate with her nicest blouse. Bella and Jacob watched each other undress in front of each other's eyes. He pulled everything off in a matter of seconds. She kept her bra and panties on hoping he'd want to remove those with his hands or teeth. She wasn't picky. He moved over the bed when the light caught his silhouette perfectly. She saw him clearly. Holy shit. He was a masterpiece.

He touched her bra covered breast with one hand and reached underneath her with the other. He was going to take the rest off and she was so glad she left it for him. The feel of him unsnapping the back was so worth it. The next thing he did was just shy of paradise. He took her nipple in between his teeth and he worked her flesh until she was begging for something extra. She needed attention between her legs, the place where he made her tingle. It was more like a deep aching throb now.

"Please Jake." She jutted her hips forward. He nudged her back down to the mattress. She trusted he was getting there, but she was almost desperate. He took possession of her mouth again. She'd never been kissed like that. It was purely primal and intoxicating.

Bella might have slightly bragged in the car that she was no longer a virgin, but she left out the total truth. She failed miserably with a couple of guys she met soon after moving to LA. One was a frat kid out for an easy lay. Why he picked a head case virgin was beyond her, but needless to say it lasted all of five minutes and Bella was really let down that was what the hype was about. The next man she met was a little older and actually took her on a few dates. She was proud of herself that she actually slept with him twice and didn't even cry afterwards the second time, but he stopped calling abruptly. That was it. That was her sexual history. It was as sad as sad could be. Freaking Monica bought her a new vibrator every year. They were getting better and more lifelike each time. Bella swore she was one step from buying her a life-size man doll because she and Barry thought she was hopeless.

No wonder they'd been so eager to turn her over to Jake. They didn't even know him and they abandoned her at the hotel like it was the plan all along. Barry had threatened to fix her up with the mailman before. They constantly told her she needed to get laid by a man that didn't make her cry from disappointment. They existed. They swore it to her.

Jacob was kissing her everywhere now. Just when she got used to his lips one place, he moved to another. This was why no other guy really mattered to her. She knew that had been her main problem... _he_ existed and she imagined they would fit together so perfectly. Bella lifted her hips, so he could slide down her panties. His mouth was so close. He whispered how beautiful she was against her inner thigh. She knew he would never make her cry with disappointment even though they were only getting started. Jacob would make her cry for an altogether different reasons, but she shoved all the dark thoughts aside and let herself enjoy their moment.

He swiped over her dripping slit with his thumb first. "You're so wet for me, Bells."

She wasn't embarrassed at all. She felt somewhat pleased with herself that he was seeing for the first time the true reactions he caused in her body. He kissed her in all the places that were so close to her pulsing center, but not close enough. Jacob said one last thing, "You should've never let anyone else touch you."

That was such a primitive, possibly sexist statement, but when he clamped his mouth over her sex, she knew without a doubt, truer words were never spoken. He knew her body even though she'd never bared it to him. Was he acting purely on instinct? If Jacob hinted to being a one woman man, how could he be so quickly adept at knowing what was best for her?

The first time he brought her to orgasm with his skilled mouth and fingers, she knew all those battery powered boyfriends were going in the trash the following day. Nothing she ever tried alone felt like this. He slid up her body in predatory fashion. Edward had scared the life out of her the time they tried, but Jacob preparing to love her body brought her back to life. Dead Bella no longer existed. He kissed her again. The taste of herself mixed with him was an added turn on. They weren't saying much but they didn't have to. She knew how to speak to Jacob without words and he was responding accordingly. He adjusted her legs wider to prepare her for what was next. She anticipated something slow but deliberate. Instead, he entered her without hesitation but when she gasped, he paused. It was too much all at once. He stilled and waited on her cues.

He voiced what she was already thinking. "Mmmm, you feel so good." More like Jacob felt so good. She'd never been so stretched and filled. It was overwhelming but such a delicious ache.

She needed his hot mouth on her again, but she spoke the obvious first, "Like I was made for you."

He found her mouth and she completely submitted the moment he started to move, proving she was right for once. Bella was made for Jake. They were mismatched in size and personality and plenty of other ways. He was like a bright light, she surrounded herself with darkness. He was brutally honest, she was a cowardly liar. Jacob always did the right thing, Bella always took the easy way out. Despite all those misgivings and the terribly bad timing, their union was nothing short of holy.

Bella knew he wasn't over what she'd done to him. He probably never would be, but for some reason he'd pushed all that aside and was giving her body the most pleasure it could conjure up. Every move, each thrust proved to her just how much he'd loved her all these years. She wasn't expecting him to say it. He didn't have to. Bella felt it and she hoped she was doing an adequate job of conveying that she loved him just as much. She did what felt good. He went faster, she pulled her legs higher and grabbed his ass tighter. When they approached the end, she tried to figure out how to stall it, but the build-up inside her was already too powerful. She was going to come so hard and he'd know it. She was pretty sure he'd follow her. He'd already whispered a few things about how it felt when she clinched her internal walls around his cock.

If she got this once in a lifetime sexual experience with him, she would be grateful. She swore no goofy tears or shameful begging.

Bella screamed his name.

"Fuck Bells." He made a bunch of noises that weren't real words.

There was at least a full minute they held each other without moving or speaking. Bella felt warmth all over, inside and out. Could they stay like that forever? Eventually, he pulled out of her and she felt like he withdrew a piece of her soul that he'd never give back. Jacob fell onto his back, breathing heavily but quiet otherwise. She wasn't sure what her next move should be. She hesitated. She held still next to him for at least five silent minutes hoping he'd give her a clue. Maybe she should visit the bathroom to give herself time to think. She made one slight move to get off the bed when she was grabbed from behind.

"Oh, no you don't. I'm not done with you. Not by a long shot."

He pulled her tight against him. Either Jacob didn't soften up afterwards like he was supposed to or he had a mega fast recovery time. He didn't give her a second to dwell on it. He slid in from behind like he'd always belonged there and before she could say _we shouldn't have done that,_ they were doing it again.

* * *

Bella was in a room, a cold, damp archaic place. She swore it was a dungeon, but who had a dungeon in LA? She felt around a hard cement floor in absolute darkness and realized she was completely alone, isolated. She recognized it might possibly be a dream unless Aro had gotten put out with her for some new reason and made her his prisoner. Her mind sought her last conscious memory. Jake! She'd been with Jacob. What if something happened to him? She would never forgive herself for sucking by in to her world. She fought the emptiness of that dark prison cell and cried for him. She had to know Jacob was okay. Bella wouldn't survive if she brought danger to him.

A warm hand brushed across her bare stomach. "Shh, honey. I've got you."

Bella realized she was still in his bed in his hotel room. She turned over. "You're still here."

"Yeah, more like you're still here. It's my room"

"Oh," She had no idea what time it was but they'd managed three rounds of the most intense sex she'd ever experienced. She still had trouble grasping the concept that he could go three times in such a short amount of time. She had trouble even believing she could keep up, but she did. For him, she'd do just about anything. "Sorry, I fell asleep. I can call a cab."

He looked at her and Bella saw the room was brighter. She'd really stayed all night. Barry and Monica would be so proud. If Jacob was finally ready to admit something to her, now was the time. She saw a flicker in his eye, like a real flash of something. Was the light hitting it somehow? She was about to elaborate on some of her new thoughts when he curled around her body again. Every rational thought went out the window with the prospect of a fourth time. They quickly got swept away in the kisses and the caresses and the way their bodies fit together perfectly.

She climbed over him. She wanted to have some of the control but most importantly she wanted him to watch her in the new light of day. It felt so sexy and sensual if he could see what being with him did to her. She knew her love for him would be written all over her face. They did exactly what she imagined they would. Their eyes stayed connected the entire time. His hands were in all the right places and she quickly realized he was still very much in control. When she rode out an intense orgasm on top of him, she felt sure he'd follow her over the edge, then maybe they'd share some sort of reflection about what the night meant. She was prepared to take back all her stupid decisions. She had to finish the last semester of school after this summer session, but then whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted her to go, she'd change all her plans to be with him like this everyday and night.

Jacob lifted her up. Surprisingly, he was still going. He positioned her like he wanted, hands and knees. He was back inside of her before she even caught her breath. He'd been an urgent, yet gentle lover the other times. Bella felt a little timid, so exposed this way to him. He was obviously a tad more aggressive the minute he pushed into her this way. He grabbed her long hair and tugged her head to the side, not enough to hurt but enough to show her she was his. Her body was fully his and under his control. He started up a forceful rhythm that tinkered at the edge of pain. Just when she thought, he might be a little too rough, he'd pull back just enough that she was moaning with ecstasy. He had her exactly where he wanted her. He was fucking her just like she needed, apparently like they both needed it for a long time.

She screamed his name a half a dozen times. "Jake, yes more... harder." Every corner of the surrounding rooms had to know a guy named Jake was staying there. She'd lost count how ridiculously loud she'd called out his name.

"You sure about that? Harder?" Her whole body shook with the answer to his question. "I'll fuck you so hard you won't walk straight for a week. Is that what you want from me, Bells?"

"Yes," she wasn't sure it was, but hearing him put it that way, she was pretty damn sure she'd be willing to see if that was possible. Walking would have to take a backseat because the experience he was giving her was worth the risk. He reached around her body and pinched her clit between his fingers, all the while maintaining sharp, furious strokes within her. "You better come with me. I'm almost there and I want you to come on my cock. I'll never get tired of that after dreaming about it forever, you owe me that."

She was all over the place, worried her legs were about to give out. Bella wasn't even able to verbally admit there was no problem fulfilling his request. She'd do just as he asked. Once she felt the twinge in her belly followed by the strong buildup deep inside her core, she knew she'd never break a promise to him ever again. She squeezed and spasmed, he shot another load of warmth inside her coating her thoroughly. For a few seconds, when he was still inside her body, she felt him brush his mouth over and over one particular spot at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. She wasn't sure where it came from, but another aftershock of an orgasm gripped him again just by that slight nuzzle into her skin.

He pulled out with sort of a huff. Bella had only one regret, that it was over, at least for now since he had his meetings in an hour. They spent the better part of his morning enjoying the mutual pleasure their bodies gave. Bella was just about to tell him she was free all day, so they could make some sort of tentative plans before his flight, hopefully.

Jacob moved across the bed to sit facing the window instead of her. She was primed to scoot across the bed and cling to his back for a few more minutes of closeness. She really was going to miss being away from him for even a few hours.

He finally spoke, "You need to leave."

He was probably exhausted, they hadn't even slept barely two hours. He didn't mean to sound so gruff, she imagined.

"Oh yeah, sure. I know you have a meeting, but..."

He cut her off. "Just go Bells and fuck your secret. I'm telling Charlie first chance I get. I won't live with that on my conscience." She didn't move or speak. He got up and walked around the room completely naked digging for his clothes, but he still wouldn't look at her.

Bella started scrambling around the room next to gather up her clothing. She grabbed the throw blanket that she discovered on the floor for coverage. All of the sudden, she felt exposed and not in a good way, but in a very dirty, nasty way. She felt used.

She tried to tell him they needed to talk. She wasn't completely opposed to coming clean to her father, but she needed some input, needed to make a plan. "Jake, look at me. Don't do this."

"Bye Bella."

She dressed in fast motion and walked to the door, all the while hoping he'd stop acting this way or tell her it was a joke. They couldn't be ending the most perfect night of her life so harshly. She turned around to give him a chance to reconsider.

He finally faced her straight on. "Oh and just so we're clear."

"Yeah," her voice was frail and weak.

"I don't ever want to see you again."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I warned you. Choo choo, this is an angst train and I'm the conductor.**_

 _ **I can't make any promises on quick updates for a couple of weeks. I have lots of personal stuff going on, but I'll try to keep up with some postings. Feel free to beg, bribe or PM. I respond positively to everything but hate. As always, love hearing predictions on what readers think might happen next couple of chapters.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**~A/N Seriously, guys, I'm blown away by how passionate some of you are. I love that I have readers that live in other countries or reviewers that post in a language I have to run through Google translation or even ones that say they are so done with this fic. I love this part of writing so much. No, you seriously don't have to review every chapter. That can get exhausting as a reader. I'm only joking when I beg for reviews. I like them and they do feed the muse, but usually it's my real life that dictates how much I get to post. I happen to have a free day, my last one, by the way for over a week, but I wanted you all to see if Jacob is truly the a-hole many of you were shocked to see appear at the end of last chapter or something else is at play. This is his POV.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 6: Emergence

Jacob squeezed the keys into the palm of his hand until it hurt. He was so full of rage, he was relieved to finally be out of the crowded airport. He was about to leave Los Angeles but there had been an essential change of plans. No way could he fly. He would have to eat the price of his ticket and leave it off his reimbursement items. He'd just rented a car, a convertible since he knew he would need the fresh air.

The past 24 hours had fucked him up. He'd experienced elation, confusion, fury and ecstasy since hearing she was alive. He tried to stretch and work out the kinks, but nothing helped his aching body. Jacob popped a few anti-inflammatory pills and drained his water bottle. He was so pissed, he wished he could break something. His fists clinched. He stared at the red car he was about to climb into. He needed to cool off. It was happening, hanging over him like a weighted dark cloud. He felt as if his own personal storm followed him now. He wanted to act like it was a mystery, but he knew why he started feeling this way. She did this to him. He should've never called her. She was dead and buried, but he had to dig her up. Fuck, it hurt so much.

Jacob went to the door as soon as she slammed it this morning. His hand was there gripping the cool metal handle. He was going to open it back up, yell for her to stop and tell her didn't mean what he'd said. He would forgive her even though she hadn't earned his forgiveness. He'd skip the last day of the conference, claim he was ill to his boss later. That was actually the truth. He was sick as hell. Jacob was still fantasizing about keeping her in his bed all day until he had to check out. The night with her opened him up to an all new sexual realm. He loved Kaleigh and always felt satisfied. He was kinda proud of the fact he found his one and only. He thought they had a good sex life. Now he knew there was something more. What he did with Bells couldn't be categorized as good or even great. He honestly didn't think there was an appropriate word in the English language to describe it.

Until his phone rang, just as he was about to beg her to come back, he hadn't even felt guilty. He didn't feel like he was cheating on Kaleigh. The truth was, he had become convinced the past few years he'd been cheating on Bella because she was clearly the only one he was ever meant to be with.

Kaleigh singsonged in his ear. "Good morning, lover. I can't wait for you to be home tonight. I have big plans."

His stomach twisted in knots. He was a miserable human being. He'd broken his promise. Sure, they hadn't made the marriage vow yet, but it went without saying, they were completely committed and monogamous. Jacob thought back to the reasons why he tossed Bella out on her ass. That had not been calculated, she probably thought it was. The feeling overcame him when he realized the night with her was over. She hurt him and he wasn't over it by any means. He wanted her to pay somehow. Maybe it was the ultimate revenge, to show her how they could be, how they were supposed to be all along and then take it all back.

The truth was, Bella brought it all on herself for not believing in him. When he sent her the text, asking her to have a drink, he hadn't thought that far ahead. It certainly wasn't his intention to bring her upstairs and fuck her like there was no tomorrow.

He even asked her roommates as a buffer, but when she walked into the hotel bar, looking completely glammed up and gorgeous, he knew he was done for. There was no way he could leave her for good without having her stripped naked, writhing underneath him at least once.

He climbed inside the car, which instantly felt too cramped and stuffy. Jacob looked at himself in the visor mirror. He looked like shit. "Go away, you dumb bastard. You aren't needed anymore."

No matter what he said, the beast wouldn't retreat. He was there, lurking under his skin, hiding behind his eyes. Jacob blinked twice and clearly saw him there. Needless to say, Kaleigh was pissed when he told her what he was doing. It made no sense to her. It barely made sense to him, but at least in the car, he knew, he could escape quickly if needed. The plane ride was only three hours, but there was no guarantee he could make it that long. He knew the stale air, cramped quarters along with all the annoying sights and scents would quicken the process. The car ride was well over 18 hours and he planned to stop at Charlie's for a long talk as well. He'd barely slept all week but there was a certain energy that surrounded a phase, so he would keep driving as long as possible.

Jacob basically told Kaleigh in no uncertain terms that he'd spent his entire life in one corner of the world, so he thought it would be nice to experience a drive that was supposed to be fairly scenic. He'd axed any suggestions of a bachelor party despite Quil and Embry's pleadings. This would be his last stand as a single man. He kept what he'd actually participated in for one and only one night with Bells, because that was ten times worse than if Quil brought strippers for a party. Kaleigh was normally very independent and not the least bit clingy. She was the one to encourage him to add his own space over the detached garage when he had their dream home constructed the year before.

She was adamant about needing her me time and girlfriend outings. She normally gave him wide berth about having alone time or time with the guys when they visited. The California trips made her edgy because they always made him edgy. It didn't help her brown-noser cousin also worked with him. He ratted him out that he never socialized or did anything when they took those business trips. Jacob hated Mack. He actually didn't care for a lot of her snooty rich family but he kept that to himself. Kaleigh was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she worked hard to make her own money. She was spoiled but not bratty about it. He couldn't say the same for all her relatives. He only took them in small doses. Her mother was definitely way too involved in their relationship. It had been one of their only issues.

He knew he had his work cut out for him when he came home after being at least two days late and a chain of guilty emotions trailing behind him. He finally got some distance between him and Bella. He felt like his body settled down and stopped fighting him, but his mind was another story. He kept his phone handy. He wished she'd say something, but that wasn't going to happen. He was pretty clear after having sex with her all night and then saying he never wanted to see her again.

Jacob knew when they were making love, he was contemplating something. He stayed awake during that first nap Bella took. He thought of ways to let Kaleigh down easy even though there wasn't an easy way to tell someone you were with, you love someone else more. He hated himself for how hard he loved Bella. He'd never admit it again, but she knew when he loved her body, it wasn't merely a physical release or act of lust. He literally ached for her and he felt her love for him as well. It was actually one of the only times, she was so open about her feelings for him. She normally denied their connection, but there was no denial after what they shared. He never wanted to leave the warmth and comfort of being inside her body and it was easy to keep repeating the act.

* * *

Jacob was so relieved to make it to his home state in one piece. He survived the long car ride with very little sleep at a roadside motel, several cans of Red Bull, numerous cups of coffee plus inordinate amounts of fast food because he was so damn hungry, he couldn't be sated He also remained human the entire way. He kept the top down as much as possible. That helped. He sent out a message to Charlie last stop for gas. He seemed surprised to hear from him but said he'd be home. He planned on seeing Charlie, then crashing at his dad's until he could safely drive back to Seattle. He might be sleeping in the unfinished man cave a few days, or maybe Kaleigh forgave him already. She wasn't sending too many messages and the silence was telling. Actually, he still hadn't come to terms with what he'd done, so some time apart might be just what they needed.

"Jake, I'm really surprised to see you. I thought this was your week in California."

"Yeah, it was."

"And you drove back? That's a long way, was there a mix-up at the airport?."

"No, not exactly Charlie." Jacob asked if they could go inside and have a talk. Jacob noticed an empty bottle of whiskey on Charlie's table. He used to stay away from the hard stuff in the old days. He was pretty much committed to his few beers on the weekend. That wasn't the case now, but Jacob hoped what he told Charlie helped. The news hadn't affected him like he imagined. He wasn't exactly feeling better knowing Bella was alive. He was actually way worse than before. Her parents would be elated, no matter what the reason.

"Charlie, I'm just going to spit it out. I found Bella."

"What? What do you mean you found her?" Charlie's face fell. He got that look of misery anytime someone mentioned her name.

"She's alive. I always suspected something was fishy. The Cullens aren't a nice family like they tried to make everyone believe. The truth is Bella faked her death because of some unsavory associates of their family and she thought her family was in danger. I know it makes no sense, but Bella didn't always think everything through if you hadn't noticed."

His voice cracked as he tried to process Jacob's words. "Alive?"

"Yes, very much alive. She lives in LA."

"Why?"

"You're going to have to ask her. I'm done trying to figure her out, but you and Renee deserve to know. I wouldn't advise broadcasting it though because there is some truth to her paranoia."

Charlie wanted to know more details. Jacob tried to give as many as he could, but obviously he was leaving huge gaping holes.

"I'm the chief of police. I would've protected her. What the hell is with Carlisle? Is it mafia?"

"Come on, Chief you know I harbour a few secrets too. I can't tell you everything, but they're bad news. Bella shouldn't have never gotten mixed up with them."

Charlie knew Jacob had obligations to the tribe. He and Billy fought at times about superstitions and secrecy. He long suspected they knew more whenever Bella seemed to have vanished after getting married.

"So, you're going to call?"

"Hell yes, I am."

Jacob told him her number still worked, but he also gave Charlie her work info just in case she was still being difficult. He got a distinct feeling he needed to leave. He wasn't feeling so hot again, or more accurately, he was actually feeling heat course through his veins. Maybe coming back to his home turf wasn't the best idea. He should be in the city as soon as possible, perhaps.

"What about you Jacob, are you going to call her again?"

"No sir. All that needed to transpire between us is behind me now. I'm going home to Kaleigh."

"You sure about all that?"

"Definitely," he lied through his teeth.

"Jacob, I don't believe in interfering. Maybe that's where I screwed up with Bells. I should've voiced my opinion a little more. Cullen wasn't right for her. We knew that... all of us, but Bells. I just want you to be sure as well. Kaleigh's a lovely girl, but you're not quite the same young man I remember. Are you sure everything's over between you and my daughter?"

"So over. You know how much I loved her but there's an old saying, 'sometimes you gotta love what's good for you.' That's why I'm going back to Kaleigh. I'm over Bells, finally."

He knowingly shook his head. "Yep, I think I've heard that somewhere before. Well, if you're mind's made up, I won't argue. I'll only wish you happiness." He walked over and patted Jacob's shoulder. "Thanks for telling me. It means a lot after losing all hope these years. I can only imagine she begged you not to."

"Bella's still confused. She's got some issues to work out, but I hope your family can heal after what's she's done."

Jacob started driving towards La Push. The heat and excruciating pain wouldn't allow him to get very far. He pulled over and fled to the woods. Somewhere in the deep, dark forest of his homeland, a wolf emerged, howling out in pain. His body adapted quickly like it was yesterday, but his mental misery was just getting started.

 _ **~ Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I'm just going to let you all digest what happened, and imagine what's to come.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Choices

She hoped Barry was telling some sort of truth when he said he'd be out early with a client. The cab dropped her off and she spotted all three cars. No such luck. Barry was home and obviously awake. He pulled the door open as soon as she stepped on the porch.

"Oh my God. Look at you, my little sex goddess. I've been waiting for your text to come get you." She was crying before her mouth ever opened up. "Oh no, even him. Does every man make you cry after sex? Maybe it's physical and you need to see a doctor."

She couldn't calm down enough to tell him the actual sex parts had by no means made her upset, it was all the after parts that crushed her spirit.

"He just. I mean, it was so amazing and then... I can't. It just hurts too much to admit it out loud."

Barry held her close and ushered over to the sofa. "One thought at a time. Tell me. Are you saying that sexy Adonis hurt you physically? I will so go over there and bitch slap him if that's the case and truthfully, you know I'm capable of so much more. I might end up in the hospital in the end, but I'd do that for you. Tell me everything."

"No, we... well, we had sex. A lot. It's just afterwards, it went to hell when the morning arrived. Jacob would never hurt me physically, although I'm kinda sore. I'm going to need one of your special concoctions in my bath, maybe two aspirins. Also, a lifetime on the couch of a supreme psychiatrist, but no, it's not necessary for you to see Jacob. He made it clear he never wanted to see me again."

Monica stumbled out of her room wiping sleep from her eyes. "Woohoo, the slut has returned. Details please, I'm having a bit of dry spell, so I need to live vicariously through you."

Barry waved her off. "Can't you see our girl's in misery? Apparently, the stud of Washington fucked her brains out and then kicked her out like she was a hooker off the strip."

Bella shook her head and denied a few things. "I never said he fucked my brains out and he didn't use me like a hooker. You don't understand everything." Or did they read her better than anyone?

They tried to be understanding, but they'd already formed their opinions. She wanted them close for support, but she also needed to be alone. She knew from the beginning telling him meant the end of their friendship. She was so stupid to let herself get swept away by the earth-shattering sex and allow herself to believe it was possible for him to forgive her and actually still want her. He pulled the ultimate act of revenge and ruined her for any other man for life. He showed her what they were meant to be and then made her fully aware that she was beyond forgiveness. He would go back to his fiancé, and she would wander the earth unable to move on, never able to have sex again. It would be so lonely, but she already had something mildly similar to that the past few years, maybe it wouldn't be so different. Except, she kept remember being with him over and over, like every second since she left his room. That part was uniquely different. She might have imagined it a time or two or thousand, but now she knew without a doubt. How could anything go back to normal?

 _Well played, Mr. Black. You fucking won the war, my heart is conquered._

* * *

Monica brought her a cup of coffee and a bagel. "Was he a dud?"

Bella shook her head.

"Good?"

"Too good."

"Did you have multiples, because those are the keepers."

Bella pounded her head on the counter. How could she tell poor Monica that wanted to marry any guy that could give her two in one night that she honestly had no idea how many she had. She lost count at the start of the third go around.

"You don't want to give us details, do you? I get it, it's private. You love him, but what went so terribly wrong? I could tell you two were totally into each other. It was mutual."

"Guys, the sex was... I can't even begin to tell you how good it was. You'd probably hate me for life if I gave you too many details. I'd make you so jealous and I just lost the most important person I've ever known, so excuse me if I want to hang onto you both. Just know, he didn't disappoint me until afterwards. I thought he'd forgiven me for all the times I broke his heart but that wasn't the case. I didn't deserve a pardon and Jacob is going back to his old life in a matter of hours. It's over. Let me grieve it for little while and then I can close this chapter of my life." Maybe another decade would suffice, she thought more realistically.

They both gave her hugs and allowed her to head towards her room. Barry followed and said her special bath was ready. They both kept hovering, but Bella was drawing the line at letting them in the bathroom with her, but then something came to her out of the blue.

"Barry, will you cut my hair?"

"Um, sure. You mean now?"

"Yes, right now."

"Okay, but you're good. We just trimmed it two weeks ago."

"No, that's not what I meant. All of it. I want it short."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, please, no more questions, just do your magic."

* * *

Bella sat on a stool in the bathroom in front of the mirror. She was turned the other way so she couldn't see what was taking place, but she felt lighter with each clip she felt him make. He made small talk like a good stylist would, but eventually he got down to something important, "I don't want to pry, but ease my mind since I've told you before, you should be on something like most modern women. The sex god used protection, correct?"

Bella froze with her hands in her lap under the wrap. She tried to keep breathing normally, but she felt a little flustered. Barry and Monica had teased her before that she had a phobia of the gynecologist. It was so creepy in her opinion. She knew she should get birth control, but since her first two partners were so inept, she kept pushing a check up aside. She went one time for an initial visit and then quickly forgot about it. She'd sworn off sex for her education for the time being, so why did it matter?

"Your silence is deafening. I can't believe neither of you have a lick of sense." When he got annoyed, his southern upbringing always came through. It was part of his charm.

Bella tried to turn around, but he held her shoulders and said to hold still. He was almost done. He pulled the cape slightly at the neck and said, "Hmm."

"Hmm, what?"

"It's just he gave you a little nip, nothing that broke the skin, but what an animal, huh? No wonder you're so discombobulated. As I was saying, protection? Answer the damn question, condoms or stupidity?"

She did what came so easy for her, she lied her ass off. "We're adults, Bar. My gosh, you honestly think I'd ever be so irresponsible."

"Oops sorry, I guess not. I was going to offer to run out for an emergency Plan B, for our miserable B, but glad you were safe. That's a relief, because tall, dark and holla screams virility. I think you are going to be in my debt for life. Are you ready, little girl?" She nodded, so he shouted, "Tada!" He turned her around and she was completely shocked. It was so drastic, nothing like she'd ever worn. She looked like a new woman.

"Oh my gosh. I kinda love it. Thank you. You're a great friend. I'm so glad I have you."

"I'm glad too. That goes both ways, now get in that tub and wash away all the bad feelings. Tomorrow will be a better day. I promise."

She slipped into the hot, healing waters. Barry was the best friend she could ask for in this or any situation. Honestly, Bella should've let him do what he suggested, but her heart just froze in her chest with his reminder. Common sense flew out the window last night and apparently hadn't come back to her until she was sitting in the bathroom all alone, but it didn't change her mind. Bella rubbed over her flat stomach under the water. She mouthed the truth, "No Barry, I doubt even tomorrow will make this better."

* * *

Jacob somehow found it in him to gain control. He must be way better than he was as a sixteen year old kid. He only ran as wolf for about four hours before he shifted back. He went to the only place he could find sanctuary. He stumbled onto Sam's porch and fell to the ground. He pounded until Emily opened the door. She screamed at the sight of his slumped over naked form. Sam cursed, "What in the fuck happened, Black?"

He barely had the sense to register what was going on around him. Sam tossed a large woven blanket over him and dragged him to the spare room. Jacob strangled out a few words. "He's back."

Sam took care of him for the rest of the night. He kept Emily and the kids away from the room. Finally, by sunrise, Jacob was able to form coherent sentences.

Sam thought he must have come across a bloodsucker. "Once Jared smelled one when he was out near the pier in PA, and it made him sick, but he fought it off. He kept Kim near him for months, worried one might be in their midst."

"No, that's not it, at least not directly."

"Then what the hell started it up again?"

"Bella."

"Damn bro, I know it's tough and you think about her a lot, but how's that enough to send you over the edge?"

"No, she's alive. I saw her. That's what did it. That and the fact I had tons of sex with her."

"Oh shit."

Sam sat down and listened as Jacob retold the entire story. It felt so much better to get it all off his chest. He didn't plan for the confession to ever go further. Sam would keep his secret and that meant Emily would as well.

"What about Kaleigh? She's on the way, by the way. I told Emily to wait but you know how women are?"

"Shit. I wish she wouldn't have done that. I really don't want her anywhere near this."

"I know. Emily just said you got sick. Are you going to leave her?"

"I can't."

"I was talking about Kaleigh. Which woman are you talking about?"

"I won't leave Kaleigh. I already promised her. This thing with Bells was just because of _him._ Now it's all out of my system. The phase, the sex, etc. Now, I can move on."

"Sure about that? Did you mark her?"

"No, but I sure as hell wanted to. If it had been a few hours closer to the change, I would have." Jacob knew his brother-in-law had marked his sister which he never wanted to think about and that Jared marked Kim, but Sam and Emily decided against it because of the accident.

"Jacob, you're kidding yourself. Now that _he's_ had the real deal, how will you get the wolf to settle for less? No offense to Kaleigh. We all like her."

"I know there are still complications. I have to fucking get rid of him, then it won't be a problem."

"You were the one that taught us how to stop. Frankly, I'm worried. If it could come back to you so easily, who's to say the rest of us aren't ticking time bombs? I, honestly worry that Charlie will convince her to come back here. What if she brings nothing but trouble?"

Jacob actually growled at his former alpha. He knew Sam was being pragmatic, but he didn't want to hear him talk shit about Bella. He could do that, but no one else had the right. Jacob felt it coming back, he flew out of the bed and took off to get far away from Sam or any other innocent bystanders that might be in his wake.

It was two days before Sam would allow Kaleigh to visit Jacob. She was a wreck. He was pleased that he actually felt happy to see her. He'd worried about that, but he was hopeful she could help him turn it all around.

She kept rubbing his hot head. "Daddy knows a specialist. I say, we see if he can get you in as soon as possible."

"No, no doctors. I'm fine. I just had bug."

She rubbed his forehead with both sides of her hand. "No, you're still very feverish. I asked Emily to take it, but she said the thermometer's broken. Isn't that weird? She has three children and no working thermometer. We should buy them a first aide kit, maybe they can't afford it." It hurt to roll his eyes at her. Sometimes, her niceness came out so wrong. "I was so worried, Jake. I'm sorry we fought. I bet you were getting ill and that's why you were so moody."

"Kaleigh, just take me home, please. I'll be fine once we get back to our lives."

* * *

Jacob was normally so truthful, except for that one thing he'd carefully hidden from Bells. He was lying to himself that getting back into a routine would cure his problem. He struggled everyday and sometimes he had to sneak off to the dense forest and let him out. _He_ wasn't exactly retreating like he imagined he would. It's a good thing they lived on the outskirts of the city near the woods.

Sam called often to check on him. One evening, Kaleigh was going over last minute wedding details. He was trying to be supportive, but half that shit didn't interest him at all.

"Jake, could you tell your friends it would actually be nice if they sent the RSVP cards back. They're way overdue. I made it super easy with postage and return addresses filled out. All they had to do was check 'yes.'"

"You know all of them are coming. Jeez, most of my friends are in the wedding party. What difference does it make?"

"It makes a difference because it's proper etiquette and Mom's super stressed. I told her how many beef dinners to have, but she said it didn't match up to the replies. Those are the most expensive plates."

He slammed a beer bottle hard on the counter top and it broke underneath his fingers. He'd heard just about enough about this extravagant wedding that her parents were dropping at least 50 grand on. Jacob thought about how far that much money could go towards a worthy cause back home on the reservation. He looked down at the mess of glass and beer. He was bleeding pretty good, but not for long. He would have to hide that from her. She tried to look, but he jerked his hand away. She was not a big crier but he saw she was close.

"Sorry, I know you hate it when I nag. That's why I rarely do." She wiped at her eyes. He saw the exaggerated rise and fall of her shoulders. Things had not been so great for the past couple of weeks.

Jacob pulled his fiancé closer. "Baby, I'm the one that should be sorry. I'll tell them. Let me guess, it's Quil, Embry, and Brady that haven't replied?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm on it. I think they're all bringing a plus one, but I'll double check on their plates. Relax, we're on the home stretch. The wedding's going to go off without a hitch." He kissed her sweetly and told her to let him clean up his mess. She nodded and said she was going to have a hot shower before bed.

His phone buzzed from the desk. He checked it out. It was Charlie.

 **I talked to Bells. It was a tough conversation, but we're going to try and repair the damage from here on out. Her mother knows too.**

 **Glad for you, but we probably shouldn't discuss her again.**

 **Oh, sure. I understand. Thanks, son. I'll see you in a couple of weeks on the big day.**

Jacob switched his phone off. He tossed the broken bottle and wiped up all the spilled beer. His finger was healed completely. He huffed slightly. _Fucking wolf can heal almost any part of me in a few minutes, but it sure does nothing for my heart._

He was days away from marrying Kaleigh. He turned into a wolf again because of his desire to protect Bella, but he swore to never see Bella again. Could he ask for a worse mess? There was still such a strong pull to go back to Bells. He fought it daily. So many times, he'd actually opened his mouth to tell Kaleigh he couldn't go through with this wedding, but he always chickened out. When did he become such a coward? He weighed his decisions over and over. Was the marriage going to help or cause them both more pain? He loved the normal times, when he could remember why he fell in love with Kaleigh in the first place, but there were many other times when he only remembered Bella. Jacob was also having a major issue in the bedroom which she thought was related to his mysterious illness. He needed to snap out of it or she was going to have him in all sorts of specialists' offices.

If only Bella would have been honest. Jacob was also berating himself. _If only he had been honest. Where would they be right now?_

* * *

He had no clue that over 1,000 miles away, Bella sat alone in her room contemplating how far she was willing to take one more secret. He said he never wanted to see her again, but fate had already stepped in again to make sure that it wasn't the end of them.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**~So I'm pretty busy, about to have a houseful of company, but this was just sitting here. Pay close attention to the first 3 words.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 8: Running

 _One year later_

Bella was barking orders left and right at Barry. She needed Monica for extra support, but she was out of town with her family.

He reminded her she always knew the day would eventually arrive. She should have made a better plan. "I can't believe this. He called as soon as he grabbed the taxi. I mean, seriously? We have no time. He's going to know the second he walks inside."

"Yeah, unless I have time to run down to the storage place, borrow a truck and pack it all up, but you said you were telling soon anyway, so what's the big deal?"

She practically cried, "I just wanted to have a better plan laid out."

He laughed at her. "Honey, your plans have always sucked, just go with the flow. It'll be fine."

* * *

Bella made him stay back in her room for a few minutes, so she could break the ice. It was true, she knew the day was coming. It was time to face the music. As soon as she heard the car door slam, she stepped outside. He smiled the smile that always made her feel loved.

"Dad."

He walked fast to get to get to her, dropping his only piece of luggage on the sidewalk. Charlie wrapped her in a tight hug. "My little girl. Bells, you look great, kiddo." He touched her head. "You cut your hair?"

"Yeah."

"I like it."

"Thanks."

The years had aged him, but he still looked great to her, better than the majority of men his age. "You should've called before, I would've cooked you a special dinner."

"Ha, and give you a chance to bolt, no thanks."

She insisted she wouldn't have bolted. They'd been communicating over the phone for a year, and she was happy to have him and her mom back in her life. He was quick to point out every time they tried to see her in the flesh, she backed out for various reasons and he wasn't about to give her an opportunity to create another one. There was actually only one reason she avoided her parents, but the surprise was about to be revealed.

"Come on in. I have a couple of people that need to meet you."

They walked back into the bungalow. First word out of his mouth was clearly what she predicted, "Oh, do you have a friend with a baby?"

She thought she would tell the story first, but why not just show him? That would be much easier. It was like ripping off a band aid. "Bar, come on out."

Barry stepped out of her room with her reason for living. Her dad was a smart man. He lived for law and order and was all about reading the signs or evidence. He studied the infant in Barry's arms and then looked back to his daughter. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Isabella Marie Swan, what have you done?"

She reached for her son. Bella invited her father to have a seat next to them on the sofa. She watched a vast of array of emotions transition across his face, but when her little boy broke out with infamous gummy grin, her dad's heart melted. It was written all over his face.

He reached out his finger to have it grasped by a chubby hand. "Hey, there buddy. You're something else, aren't you? I'm you're... "

He looked at Bella for a hint. "Whatever you want him to call you. Your choice."

"Um, how about Poppa?"

She giggled. That sounded fine to her. It fit. Now it was her turn for the formal introduction, since he couldn't speak for himself just yet. "Poppa, this is Atticus Charles Ephraim Black and I think he is tickled pink to meet you." The infant giggled to prove it.

Charlie was happy, he couldn't believe she added Charles in there and he asked if heard the Black part right. She couldn't leave the father information blank. It looked wrong, was wrong and she knew eventually when Jake found out, he would expect his son to have his last name. She knew she was in for it as soon as Atticus went down for a nap. Her father wouldn't say anything upsetting in front of her young son. "May I?"

"Sure, he's super friendly and happy. He's a real people person."

Her dad pulled him into his lap. "I think I might know where you got those traits from, little boy. So, let me take a wild guess. Atticus, you're about three months old, I bet."

"Yes, give or take some days. He was born May 14th, a few weeks early, but he's completely healthy and amazing as you can see."

Barry actually got busy making them a quick lunch. Charlie continued to focus on getting to know his grandson better. By the time, lunch was ready, Atticus was ready for a change and his feeding. She knew he'd take his mid-afternoon nap, so she and her dad could hash out all the inevitable issues.

She sat down with her bowl of soup. Barry said he was going to take off to do a few errands. He was giving them some much needed privacy. "Nice to meet you again, Chief Swan. I see where Bella gets her soulful, dark eyes from now. You two have fun, call if you need me."

Barry slipped out the door. Bella asked if he needed anything else but he said, "Only one thing... I need answers. Are you going to be honest and give them to me?"

"Yes, I'll do my best."

"Bells, your mother and I have struggled for a year trying to figure out why you didn't find a way to let us know you were alive. Now this. Kiddo, what happened to you? Why do you hide from all those that love you?"

"It's a lot more complicated than you know, but I swear I've been trying to figure out a way to tell."

"Me or his father?"

"Both."

"Bells. Come on. It's not that hard to pick up a phone."

"You don't understand what happened last time Jacob and I were together."

"Well, there's a living, breathing human being in the other room. I think I can guess."

Her cheeks burned several degrees warmer than the rest of her. She left out the X-rated parts as she tried explain what it was like to see him, what the truth did to Jacob and how much hurt she caused him.

"And keeping this truth from him isn't hurting him? My God, Bells, that's his son. He's already missed three months of that little boy's life. You're not a cruel person. I believe that in my heart. Stop this right now. Pick up the goddamn phone."

"I will. I just need to figure it all out."

"No, there's no figuring it out. Jacob told me the best news of my life without hesitation. I won't keep him in the dark, not about this."

"He's married," she heaved out that fact. It was just as painful saying it as it was knowing the truth.

"I'm well aware of that. I was there. You knew before though... that you were pregnant, didn't you?" She thought back to how she pretty much knew that first day when he told her he never wanted to see her again, but she had a positive test twelve days later. She even took it early and it still showed two pink lines in no time. Jacob's didn't get married until 15 days after that, because she texted her dad that morning he was getting ready to go to the wedding.

Her father shook his head, "Damn fool kids. I swear you two are the most stubborn people that ever walked the earth."

He reminded her Jacob's annual conference was coming up the following week. She wondered if he would be there again. Charlie confirmed that he would. He'd mentioned coming to visit her to Billy and he said that he and Jacob would just be missing each other in LA.

Then he reminded her Billy was missing out on his grandchild as well. He had four others, but he rarely got to see Rebecca's two. "And your mother, my gosh, that woman is going to jump for joy. She cried on my shoulder at your memorial. She realized we'd never be grandparents."

When she heard those types of things, it destroyed her. She'd heard plenty of similar sentiments over the last year. Speaking of destroyed. "Dad, what about Jacob's marriage?"

"Well, I can't speak to that. I have no idea, but he made his bed, so to speak, a year ago. He should have never married that woman. I knew something was off with him. Several of us did. Jacob will have to figure his relationship out, but I know he'd never turn his back on his child."

"He said he never wanted to see me again."

"Well, that was dumb. It was a lie and it's not possible now, is it?"

* * *

She had so much to consider. There was right and wrong, but so much was blurred in between. It turned out her father was coming straight from the airport. It worked out perfectly for him stay with them a couple of days since Monica was gone. She and Barry sat around with him until well after midnight. Of course, her father grilled him on safety and precautions, but found out quickly Barry had it all under control. He still never could figure out why she was so scared of someone coming to hurt her and those she loved, but he trusted her a little bit at least. He knew she had some legitimate concerns, he just didn't know what they were.

They pretty much stopped discussing Jacob the few days he visited, but the morning Bella was driving him to the airport, he brought it up again. "So he'll fly in Sunday night, late. If I were you, I'd start calling then and ask him to meet you."

"Maybe I should wait until the end of the week, in case he's busy."

"Nope, no waiting. That leaves the potential for you chickening out. You just never know what might get in the way. Bells, I love you. You have a child now, so you know what I'm talking about. Don't disappoint me, because you know I will tell if you don't."

"I will. I swear. It's just, how many times can I ruin Jacob's life? He was better off never having met me."

"Ruin his life? How many times have you looked in Atticus's eyes and regretted him, wished he never existed?"

Her father's question physically made her heart hurt. That was the absolute opposite of any thought she'd every had about her son. She never regretted him or felt like he ruined her life, even before he was born, she loved him like crazy.

"I can tell what you're thinking. Jacob will feel that way as soon as he sees him. It's what happens when you become a parent."

As soon as she stopped in the drop off line, Bella hugged her dad, so hard she cut off his oxygen supply. She knew about the love he was talking about and she was again filled with so much guilt and regret about what she'd done to her parents. She had that crazy notion that they'd all be safer, better off without her. She swore she could cry just imagining Atticus getting angry with her the first time and saying a hateful word to her. She couldn't imagine the grief she put them through. She told her father as soon as she and Jacob had made some decisions, she wanted to see her mother.

"I think she would love that, but until then, why don't you call and set up something, maybe send her some pictures."

She promised she would. He kissed her and then opened up the back door to do the same to his grandson. Bella turned around, "Dad, can I ask you one quick question?"

"Sure."

"You thought Jacob, the minute you saw Atticus, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah, it's pretty obvious. He'll know immediately if that's what you were wondering. Billy's going to get so smug about those Black genes. I'll never hear the end of it, but don't you worry, Bells, he's got some Swan... the eyes, just like your friend pointed out. Love you guys." He shook Atticus's hand. "Make her behave, buddy."

Charlie backed out of the backseat and Bella yelled out how much loved and missed him already.

He stuck his head inside the window to say a few more parting words. "I think I'm going to see a lot of you two from here on out. I'll call when I land."

* * *

Bella tried to dissect what he meant by that. It eventually hit her as she exited the airport. He thought Jacob would take her back to Washington. Oh no, that wasn't possible. She had stacks of job prospects in other cities and by stacks, she meant three. Having Atticus delayed her career plans after graduation, but she was ready to start using her degree. She knew Jacob would want to be a part of his child's life, but she wasn't a home wrecker. She didn't know what plan they would devise, but she wasn't about to change her entire way of life. She didn't want to bring danger around the guys either, especially since they weren't even phasing.

She actually was still considering Alice's offer. Damn her for always trying to spy on her business. She found out fairly quickly she was pregnant when her visions started getting fuzzy. Alice showed up at the hospital the first time she got dehydrated during the pregnancy. Bella in a hospital bed was something she saw clearly. The whole thing had been a huge mess, especially when Edward called which she seriously hated. He lectured her about her carelessness and he had plenty to say about Jacob. That animosity still remained. He threatened to travel to Washington and pay him a visit to discuss his abandonment of Bella and their child.

She cursed at him with words he'd probably never heard in his proper, past century upbringing. They all tried to keep the news from Aro. Bella did her best by answering his messages when they came, but eventually he demanded a video chat. She was quite far along and he was already suspicious that no one was behaving normally. He kept in touch with the Cullens as well. She never understood how he figured it out, because she was careful to disguise her swollen abdomen.

Now Aro knew she had a son. He didn't know she had a shape-shifter's son. He was already way too excited about her child. Jacob calling him a pervy uncle almost seemed accurate now. He wanted to know if Edward had tested him yet. Her anger flared and her motherly instincts kicked in. There was nothing to test, he was a tiny baby and no one was going to experiment on him.

Aro tried to placate her. He insisted he might be a monster, but he was a civilized one. They had strict rules about children. He wouldn't harm "the wee one" as he called him. He still wanted to know if he could block Edward, because that meant her gift was genetic. His fascination had tripled. That's why the Cullens tended to think she and Atticus should reside near them. Bella thought about Barry and Monica. She didn't want to leave them, but she knew there was a big chance she'd to move for work anyway and even her friends were at risk being in her proximity. Nothing in her field was available in practically the entire state of California. She'd been checking for over six months.

Jacob was going to ask about the Cullens. He was going to ask about Aro too. That was a given as soon as he calmed down that she hid the pregnancy, birth and their son's first three months of life from him. He would naturally want to be the one to protect them, but the truth was he couldn't, at least, not like he wanted to. He didn't shift anymore. Maybe she should go live back to live with the Cullens, more like down the road, but then what would happen if Atticus grew up too close to vampires? She covered her head with the pillows. These scenarios ran through her head almost every night.

Jacob didn't forgive her before, he certainly wouldn't forgive her now. Bella listened to the smooth even breathing of her son in the crib next to her bed. She didn't know how she would've managed without Barry and Monica. They had hounded her since the beginning about telling Jake the truth, but her father would take it a step further. He was right, Jacob needed to know about his son and the truth was, Atticus needed him just as much.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Well? Hope you stick with me, because it's about to get angsty.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**~A/N Ready to see a Bella/Jacob reunion plus one?**_

 _ **Happy Thanksgiving to all that celebrate. This is my gift to all of you. I wasn't going to post until tomorrow, but I got a few free minutes.**_

 ** _Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer._**

Chapter 9: Son

Jacob, unfortunately was hijacked by Kaleigh's cousin, Mack. He usually tried to catch a different flight. This time, they sat together on the plane. Come to find out, they were also across the hall from each other at the hotel. He wasn't feeling great thinking about going back to LA. He knew how the close proximity to Bella affected him even before he understood. He tried to get out of the conference this year, but no such luck. Now that the truth was revealed, she was actually alive living nearby, it was going to be even tougher. He didn't need his wife's idiot relative reporting about his odd behaviors.

Mack roped him into dinner downstairs with a bunch of other conference goers that they saw each year. He wanted to grab take out and stay in his room alone, but maybe trying to be more social would keep him from thinking about her too much. Although, a year later, miles of distance and a new wife hadn't done much to help him forget. Jacob couldn't go a day without a memory of Bella. The memories were anywhere from the old days, riding bikes with her, to sitting on a log staring out at the ocean, to Bella naked, riding him like she was meant to each and every night. Why did he have to be so weak and give into his desires? He couldn't escape all those sexual reflections now and they weren't helping him with his failure to forget she ever existed.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He fully expected it to be Kaleigh making sure he hadn't ditched Mack. He looked down under the cover of the table.

 **Hey, I know you don't want to hear from me, but I really need you to call me while you're in town. It's very important.**

Jacob studied the text which came in as anonymous1. He hadn't deleted her contact completely, but renamed her number anonymous1 after he left her last year. She was right about one thing, he didn't want to hear from her. That would be too dangerous for his resolve. He made his choice and couldn't escape it. He still couldn't understand why after a whole year, she'd now say there was something important to discuss. It could be about the head leech. He told himself, _so what?_ Bella made her choice that she didn't need or want his protection. She'd survived almost a decade without him. He'd let her handle it. He tried to forget what appeared on his phone out of nowhere. He ate a hearty meal and made small talk with his colleagues, but the message kept replaying in his thoughts.

By the time he got to his room, he'd pulled his phone out at least ten times to read the words again. He debated replying for thirty minutes and then he practiced a few choice words, all things ended up being erased before he hit send. In the end, he simply asked, **What?**

 **Can I call you?**

 **No!**

 **Jake, please.**

 **NO!**

Bella had obviously kept some sort of tabs on him. Charlie told his father he was going to visit her. He assumed that's how she knew he was back in town. Bella didn't stop texting. She sent him an address. He clearly recognized it wasn't the cafe she worked at. Would she even be at that job still? He imagined she graduated by then. Pasadena address, he remembered that coming up in conversation with her roommates. She was seriously thinking he'd come to her house? Bella suffered from delusions. He was just about to call his wife, shut his phone off and go to sleep. It started to vibrate, not from a text but an incoming call. He watched the word Anonymous1 appear on his screen. He froze and waited for it to end.

The icon for a new message appeared. Jacob should delete it. Hearing her voice might fuck with his mind, but he was too curious about this sudden urgency out of the blue. She had a year to attempt contact and never did.

His less than sound judgment prevailed and he listened. "Jake, like I said, I get it. I know what you said last time. That's the reason, I've waited this long to say something but we can't put this off any longer. Please come to my place. We could meet at the cafe, but I'm only there two days a week now. I think you would end up wanting to come to my house anyway when you hear me out. If it wasn't crucial, I'd never contact you again. I know you're staying at the same place. I called and checked the conference details already. If you don't come, I'll just show up there. I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate that too much. I will be home every afternoon this week, just call and let me know when you're heading over. Bye."

He listened carefully, then replayed it a couple of times. She was threatening to show up at his hotel. That wouldn't work for several reasons. He couldn't be anywhere near a hotel room with her. He'd already proven that once. Stupid Mack was hovering this time. If he didn't know better, Kaleigh had hired him as a spy. She hadn't forgotten that he wasn't quite himself when he came back last year. The wedding almost didn't happen, but in the end, he convinced himself it would fix everything. It didn't. Jacob could honestly say there were good times being married, and he hadn't fallen out of love with his wife, but he wasn't the same man that Kaleigh thought he was. How could he be when he shared his body with a beast and kept it hidden from her successfully? He still fucking phased. He swore he'd stop after he got back in his normal routine, but he didn't.

There was one other thing that absolutely, no one but Sam was aware of. He initiated contact again and kept in touch with the Cullens. That's why he couldn't ignore this matter of importance. He wasn't going to physically check up on Bella after what happened, but by the time he got back to Washington and realized his wolf was going insane that she still had lingering threats, he had no choice. He called Carlisle. He basically was making sure everything was steady, that there were no changes. The last conversation two months ago, Edward intercepted the call. He didn't deal with him normally, but Bella's former husband said something peculiar. "Aro is a little more entranced with Bella. Maybe you should look into that."

"Get the fuck off, where's Dr. Fang?"

Carlisle brushed it off as Edward was in a mood and being impolite. _Maybe you should look into that._ What if Aro was thinking about her more? What would stop him from making a grab for her one day?

* * *

He didn't answer Bella back. However, he had one of those epic turned torturous dreams about her, finally waking up when he hit the floor before the sunrise. Jacob headed to the gym on the ground level for the only appropriate way to work out his frustrations trapped in a busy city. He showered, suffered through boring lectures and a tedious lunch with Mack. He called Kaleigh, but got her voice mail. He took another lengthy shower and decided enough was enough. He was skipping the afternoon workshops. Lots of people did. Jacob called the car service and gave the driver the address. That's how he ended up on her doorstep. Of course, she lied again. She wasn't there. Bella clearly stated she would be home every afternoon, but he sat on the steps for damn near an hour, determined to be in clear view when she showed up.

A black SUV pulled up. Either Bella had gotten rid of her POS Saturn or the vehicle belonged to someone else. He zeroed in on the occupants when they parked in the driveway. Barry was driving her and they noticed him. Bella stepped out. He started walking her way. First, obvious difference he saw was she got a short haircut. He wished he hated it, but her roommate was right, it looked hot. Everything about her screamed hot. She looked even better after the year apart. Something was uniquely different about her, but he hadn't pinpointed what it was just yet.

Barry spoke first, "Hey, Jacob. Nice of you to stop by."

Bella looked completely disoriented. Wasn't she the one that told him to come? "Um, Jake. I didn't. I mean, I wasn't expecting you today or so soon."

"You told me to come over, that it was important."

"Yeah and I also said send a message first. You never listen to me."

"No, that would be you, not me." Her tone was sharp and so was his.

"Kids, come on now. Let's keep a civil tongue. It's necessary before I allow you both inside."

Jacob liked that Barry took care of her to the best of his ability, but he wasn't about to take advice from him. He clearly didn't know all Bella was capable of. Barry walked to the back of the vehicle and started unloading items. Jacob assumed they'd been shopping. Bella stood in a split stance, like she was ready to take a step towards the house, but also contemplating going back to the car.

His good manners surfaced. "Do you need some help unloading the car?"

She chewed her lip. "Um, no I've got it." He watched her carefully open the back passenger door. She climbed up on the step and reached inside. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but she was giving him an excellent view of her ass. He didn't need to look so he turned towards the road, looked at the houses all up and down the street, anywhere but at Bella. Barry passed him with a large box in his hands. He didn't have time to see what he was carrying before he saw Bella holding a baby carrier in her grip.

They all stared awkwardly. Barry jingled keys in his hands for the door. Oh, fuck no. Bella was holding a kid. What the hell? He made a clean break with her, so she jumped into bed with some worthless piece of shit and got knocked up by the stupid asshole and now she wanted to rub it in. He needed to get the hell outta there before he did something he couldn't take back.

Then, the unexpected happened, the baby inside the carrier cooed as a breeze moved past them. Bella's scent filled his senses, but it wasn't the only thing he smelled. He knew the child's scent before he even fully looked upon him. _Pup. Mine. Ours._ Jacob reached out and stopped her by holding onto her arm. She angled the baby seat, so he could see.

Creamy, tan skin, dark hair that stood straight up like a buzzcut, dimple in the chin, warm chocolate eyes staring through dark lashes, Bella's nose, his cheekbones... his son with Bella. _Goddammit, I'm the asshole,_ was his first thought. Where was his brain? He thought back to the hotel room. He knew why his brain was on vacation that night, but why had he never even considered the possibility all year? He was lazy because Kaleigh took care of birth control in their relationship. He never thought to ask nor did he want to let a condom come between them when they were finally together. Honestly, the wolf was to blame for ignoring all basic biological facts.

Knowing his own mistakes, did little to keep him from lashing out. The baby was several months old and he just **now** got a call. "You bitch. I can't believe you fucking lied again."

Barry dropped the box which Jacob recognized were diapers. "Hey now, what did I say about being civil? You've got every right to be shocked and upset, but don't call her that. She's the mother of your child."

Jacob stood to his full height, but the guy didn't flinch. He wasn't backing down. He respected him immensely in that moment. The two men stood practically chest to chest despite the height difference. Barry was on his tiptoes, puffing himself up to prove his point. Bella was telling them to stop, but Barry let him know he was some sort of division champion wrestler in a Texas high school in 2002. "I'm not going to let you in our home if you can't control your temper. Trust me, big boy. I know you might kill me, but don't believe the stereotypes. I'll be a worthy opponent."

Jacob took a step back, "Dude, chill. I'm not going to lose it in front of the kid, but you have to admit this is pretty fucked up. Is this what you meant by 'define normal?'"

Bella was confused. Barry was obviously a loyal friend, but he was good a keeping secrets and not just hers.

"Hold up. You've talked to Jake and you didn't tell me?"

Jacob answered. "I got his number when we had drinks, just in case. All I said was to let me know if anything was ever out of the ordinary. I'm remembering a reply once that Barry sent me when I asked if all was normal. I think he wanted to tell me the truth now, but you're a master when it comes to deception. I guess you convinced your friends to protect your lies at all costs."

The baby fussed and Jacob felt guilty. He hoped the innocent child wasn't picking up on the tension. Bella asked if they could go inside. She sat the seat on the coffee table. Jacob was quickly forgetting being pissed. He really wanted to get a better look. He had a million questions, but he'd start with one of the most important ones. She unbuckled him and pulled him out. He was really tiny. "Is that normal sized?"

She kinda laughed at him, "Yeah, he was a little small, barely over five pounds, but he's been on a growth spurt this month. He's almost eleven pounds now."

"Jeez, five pounds. That's tiny. I mean, look at me. I would've expected him to be bigger. Didn't you take care of yourself?"

"Yes, jerk. I took excellent care of myself, but he was three weeks early, and I had a terrible time with morning sickness. I had to go to the hospital often for IV's when I couldn't hold anything down, even fluids."

"But everything's okay?"

"Yeah, we... I mean he's perfectly healthy. Do you want to hold him, Jake?"

"I do, but I don't know how. He's so little."

She gave him a few basic instructions, but said he was fairly strong for a three month old. She sat the baby on his lap and the first thing that transpired between father and son were matching grins.

"Hey, there, little guy. I'm your dad," he looked at Bella and she seemed pretty emotional, but quiet. "What's his name?"

"Um, it's Atticus."

"What?" He said too loud at first and Atticus startled. "Sorry, sorry." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Why would you name our son, Atticus? Do you want him to get teased mercilessly?"

"It's a beautiful name. It's from _To Kill a.._."

"I know what damn book it's from, Bells. Jesus, that doesn't mean it's a good name. Did you ever consider these were some of the reasons I needed to know? I would've liked to be a part of naming him. I would've like to have known that you were sick and in the hospital. I would've loved to see him breathe his first breath or watched him jump around on one of those ultrasound things. You stole all those moments from me."

She was looking down to her clasped hands in her lap, "You said you never wanted to see me again."

He was holding a baby, his baby. He couldn't even respond to her properly, but Jacob was having trouble complaining about all the mistakes from the past. He just wanted to enjoy the moment he met his son. The word Atticus stuttered from his lips.

Barry saved the day when he joined in. "If it helps, Mon and I call him Ace. B hates it, but we think it suits him."

Jacob eyed Bella curiously. "Ace?"

"Yeah, his full name is Atticus Charles Ephraim Black."

"Oh, I get it, you thought enough of me to give him my name, just not enough to tell me I got you pregnant."

She sat stoic, still twisting those hands in her lap. His hearing was extremely acute. She mumbled, "sorry."

Jacob changed his tone again. "Ace, now that, I like. You ready to be my number one?" Ace giggled just like he understood. He was feeling very comfortable with him in his lap. He was an uncle to Rach and Becca's kids, but usually kept his interactions to a minimum when his nieces and nephews were really small. He leaned over and made _num num_ noises on his son's cheeks. Ace belly laughed each time his vibrating lips tickled his skin.

Bella conceded she was going to be outnumbered, everyone would end up calling him Ace. "He's not going to be a card shark or play in a rock band. That's where I draw the line."

Barry got on the phone and started ordering Chinese. Jacob opened his mouth to tell him what his favorites were, but Bella rattled them off quickly. She hadn't forgotten. She reminded Barry, nothing spicy for her.

Jacob asked, "Why not?"

"It upsets Atticus. He breastfeeds."

"Oh, yeah, sure sure. Rach did that. She said it's best."

"It works out nicely for us and it's cheaper. I only work a couple of mornings now, so I pump too. Barry, Monica and I have a schedule, so he doesn't have to go with strangers, ever." He liked hearing that. He tried to chase off any mental pictures of her breasts bared nourishing his pup, but as soon as she mentioned it, his mind went there. Somewhere deep inside him, that smug bastard purred, completely content.

Jacob looked around the room and saw various baby items, many of which he didn't understand the purpose, but the point was, he hadn't bought a damn thing. He'd never provided for his son and it further twisted the knife. He was always struggling with who was primarily at fault for their problems. It was easiest to blame her, but he knew Bella and she took things directly to heart. She was right, he said he never wanted to see her again. Had he meant it? Hell yes, he meant it in theory, but it never stopped him from aching for her even when he stepped back into the life he promised Kaleigh. He was the one that pulled her out of the bar and up to his room. He knew what he was doing that night, knew exactly how much he wanted her.

He didn't know what to bring up next, but Bella reminded him since he'd barely thought about her since Bella arrived with his son in tow. "Jake, what do you intend to tell your wife?"

Shit. That wasn't going to be easy by any means. "I guess, the truth. She and I are open and honest."

"Oh, so she knows?"

"About you? Well, no, not exactly." Turns out they weren't as open and honest as he was trying to convince Bella. "All she knows is that I had a special best friend that died and I didn't like to talk about it. So there, I've been lying and keeping secrets too. You happy? But I was trying to protect her." Bella had the hint of a smirk on her lips. "Cut it out, Bells. It's not the same. You and I will never be the alike."

"I didn't say a word." She didn't need to. He could read her like a book.

"I'll figure it out and soon," he announced assuredly, even though he wasn't sure of a damn thing. His entire world just tilted on its axis. Jacob knew one certain thing, they had to come home with him. It wouldn't make much sense to anyone from the outside looking in. Kaleigh would be devastated to learn he cheated. It was her plan to start trying for their own baby after their one year anniversary. Dammit to hell, he had a Hawaii vacation already booked for that week too. No way could he commit to that now. He'd never agreed to starting a family with his wife yet, because every time she brought it up, his wolf, bristled. He tried to convince her they needed longer with just the two of them. It would definitely be an unorthodox request, to tell Kaleigh the truth, beg for forgiveness, but still request Ace be a permanent presence in their lives, which meant Bells would also be included. She was a package deal, they couldn't hide from that fact. An infant, any child needed their mother whenever possible.

"I guess, I'll put you both up in a place nearby until I break the news to her."

She started shaking her head. "No, you've got the wrong idea. I couldn't hide your son from you any longer, but I'm not going to Washington... not ever. I have an interview in Denver next week and then there's several other prospects on the east coast. I'll do my best to keep you connected with Atticus, but our lives are too different now. You know why I can't go back."

"Denver? The fuck is wrong with you? You actually think I'd let you take my son to Denver? It's probably full of bloodsuckers. Hell no. Neither of you will ever live away from me. You're both coming to Washington and that's not even up for discussion." Bella heard Barry come out of his room. She made the kill sign over her throat. Jacob lowered his voice. "What about Uncle Twisted and Tactile Telepathy? He knows, doesn't he?"

She looked amazed at his name for Aro. "You kept tabs on me, not just with Barry. You've spoken to the Cullens? I never told you his power." Ace was loudly gnawing on his fingers and Bella said he was hungry. She took him. For a second Jacob wondered if he was going to get to watch her feed him. Damn, he was such a perv about her, but Bella took him to a room and shut the door. The front door swung open about that time. Monica returned from work and announced the delivery guy had just pulled up. Jacob stood up and retrieved his wallet from his pocket. He handed her the cash without hesitation.

Barry took the food to the bar and started figuring out what was what. Monica was certainly cheery. "So, what about the little prince? You finally met him. He's amazing, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's pretty great."

Monica put her arm around him, "I'm sorry, it took her so long. We've been telling her all along. It took her dad to really bring her to her senses, but I have faith you both will do what's right for Ace."

Barry cleared his throat. Monica stopped talking abruptly. Jacob smelled a damn rat over the aromatic Chinese food. He was always hungry, but he had to have one more important question answered before he took a bite. He pushed the plate away and headed straight for the room she had disappeared into. He had his hand on the doorknob just as she was twisting it open. He looked over her shoulder and saw a crib.

Bella was whispering, pushing him backwards, "He's napping. We're off schedule today. He'll be up in an hour or so."

Jacob grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the hall towards another room. He didn't know if it was Barry's or Monica's. He got in her face. "You weren't ever going to tell me were you? Charlie made you."

"Jake."

"Don't fucking jerk me around. What's wrong with you? You'd let me think you were dead forever and now this. You would hide my son from me?"

Tears pooled in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. No, I promise. I was going to find a way, but it's true, Dad put a rush on it."

"Tell me when? When he's off to college?"

"No, of course not. It's just, I was confused. I, honestly don't know."

"Dammit, Bells. How can I ever believe anything you say?"

"I know why you're saying that, but you were so cruel, Jake. You threw me out like a piece of trash and I... I, foolishly thought that night was special. It's taken a long time to get over it. Well, I'm not exactly there yet, but hopefully... "

He wanted to blame her for everything that was wrong in his life, but he couldn't. He knew the parts that were aggravated because of something he'd done or hadn't done. Jacob had to let go of the past, so they could move forward at that moment. Monica said it best when she said they would do what's right for Ace. He let go of her arm to move his hand to her face. He needed to make sure she was really seeing him in the dark hallway. Bella swallowed hard, but her hand rose to cover his. He leaned in even more until his forehead was against hers. "I'm so sorry. My head was fucked up. I hate that I made you feel that way for a whole year, the entire time you carried our son and brought him into the world." He lifted enough, so he could kiss her temple. "You're right, it was special and I thought I ruined it, but now I know that little boy made it perfect again. I don't have a clue what's going to happen next, but I'm asking you to trust me. Let me take care of you and Atticus."

"I wanna say yes, but I'm scared. You have a wife and so many people don't know the whole story and you're vulnerable Jake. Aro contacts me more than ever."

He shook his head, "No Bells. I'm not. I'm a wolf again and I will be as long as you two need me to be."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **A new family is born, but don't forget there's still a wife back home. LOL. Hit me up with all your thoughts.**_

 _ **Many thanks to my good friend, Urban Rose. I knew my fave literary name, but I also wanted a nickname that would meet Jake's approval, so she gets full credit for Ace.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**~I'm glad I've matured as a writer, because the ideas are already etched in my brain and I'm really enjoying these emotional reviews instead of stressing about them. Jake has some major hate coming his way and I wasn't exactly expecting that, but this is how this version of Jacob is. He's stubborn, troubled, possessive and not completely rational, but those are not always bad qualitites. He prematurely gave up the wolf and the beast is giving him hell for it.**_

Chapter 10: The Unnatural Path

Bella was trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening in her house at the present time. She knew she'd face Jacob this week, but she kind of imagined after his stubborn responses over the phone, she would have to go to him. When he showed up and she had no choice, but to lift Atticus out of the car in front of him, all her practiced scenarios flew out the window. He was pissed, but she saw his son change his attitude immediately. He seemed positively overjoyed to be Atticus's father. They sorted out a few things, but still had a mountain of issues. She absolutely couldn't imagine showing up at Jacob's with a baby and his wife not coming unglued. Jacob talked like Kaleigh was very kind, compassionate and understanding, but no way was this going to fly. No woman was that good and Bella couldn't blame her. If Jake was truly hers, she'd hang on for dear life. However, Jacob wouldn't be asking Kaleigh to accept her, he'd be asking for acceptance for his son. She still thought they were going to have to live with a little distance between them.

She kept assuming he would leave after their early dinner and a little playtime with their son. The night continued on. Jacob never mentioned going back to the hotel. He never even answered his phone which went off several times. She would see him glance at it and then slide it back in his pocket.

Barry offered to give him a ride, but he still didn't budge.

"So what happened to ugly blue car?"

"Oh, it died a quick, painless death. Barry traded his in for this family friendly one until I can afford something else."

Like a smartass, he replied, "Shocking, your ride didn't pull through."

Jacob thanked Barry again. Those two were getting along swimmingly despite they almost came to blows when Jacob first arrived and the name calling that came with the revelation. Bella guessed she deserved it, but she couldn't stop thinking about how much it hurt to hear it from his lips. He really changed abruptly in the hall after she got Atticus down for a nap. Now Bella was doing something she never planned to do, she was considering going back with him to Washington. She'd watched him with their son maybe four hours, and she didn't have the heart to separate them. If only they could be a family, but Jacob already had a family. A spouse was the first step to starting one's family. She couldn't hide from the mistake she made by not telling him the day she found out she was pregnant. She needed to go on with their routine and not dwell on the what ifs.

"So, I'm about to give Atticus a bath and put him to sleep. You can come over anytime you're free this week. We have more details to go over."

Jacob handed over the baby, but he stood up to follow her. "I, um... well, I'd like to see how you bathe him, if that's okay. You taught me to change a diaper. Might as well learn it all."

She smiled. He didn't have to learn everything all in one night, but he was so eager she couldn't turn him down. Bella walked him back to their room and asked him to watch the baby closely on the bed while she grabbed a few things. "He rolls sometimes. I usually only trust him in the crib if I'm by myself or his blanket on the floor. Your son is strong and determined, Jake."

She'd just gotten together the last couple of things she needed for his bath when she looked up to find Jacob with one hand on Atticus, but his eyes on her. "You sure that's from me? How could I have any sort of influence when I haven't been around?"

Bella pulled her lip in between her teeth. She paused. The guilty feelings weren't going to disappear anytime soon. She had a seat with them. She never would've imagined being on a bed with Jacob ever again, but their child was in between them, so she should be safe or Jacob should be safe, she meant. She covered his hand with hers. "Dad already commented he has your personality, not to mention he looks exactly like you, but I feel like many other traits are also genetic. You know the whole nature vs. nurture debate. Besides, you'll forever be an influence now. It's just... "

He interrupted her train of thought, "Bells, you have to be near me, so I can protect you and Ace."

"What about Dad's?"

"No, not close enough."

"Jacob, we're obviously going to have to make some compromises, like millions of other blended families. I'm sure your wife loves you very much, but she's not going to be okay with what you're proposing. No woman would."

"I'm aware, there are challenges, but I can't be separated from him. Dickward said Aro is more entranced with you than ever."

"I can't believe you two talked about me. What I really can't wrap my mind around is that Barry communicated with you behind my back."

"That guy's a vault, apparently."

"No kidding. If I go, I'm going to miss him so much, Monica too. They've been my family all this time."

"Bells, I'm trying to suppress all my dominate, asshole tendencies, but you **have** to go. I'm sorry to give you an ultimatum, but that's it. I've driven myself fucking crazy all year being stubborn and now, so much more is at stake."

"Maybe once Atticus is weaned, we could have a judge sort it out."

"Are you seriously threatening me with legal shit?" She wasn't threatening by any means. It was just so complicated, Bella thought a third party might be helpful.

"Not exactly and 'threat' is a terrible word."

"Well you're dead, aren't you? Seems like I'm the more responsible parent."

"Jake."

"You started it."

"Well, I'm stopping it. Fine, no lawyers, no judges, just me and Atticus in a weekly motel until your wife kicks you out on your ass and you're homeless, just like us."

He actually smiled. She didn't think it was funny at all. "Come on, it's getting late." Bella showed him how she filled the baby bathtub on the bathroom counter. She made him test the water with a thermometer because she felt like his high body temperature would keep him from gauging it accurately. She went through their whole routine step by step.

Jacob noticed how happy Atticus was every time he saw himself in the mirror. "You're a good looking kid. I think you like yourself a little too much." Bella looked up occasionally to see the three of them standing so close in the reflection of the mirror. Could this little family still exist in some fashion? She was almost believing it could after how things were all evening. "You really think he looks just like me?"

"Yeah, isn't it obvious? Dad knew at first glance and so did you."

"Actually, I knew as soon as I got a good whiff of him."

"Oh."

"I see you too, the eyes and nose. He'll be the best of both of us, hopefully."

"I like that." Bella had the baby rinsed off, so she asked him to hold out the baby towel so she could wrap him up and keep him warm. "Jake, I know you have a nice hotel room and all, but you can stay all night if you want. I'll take you back in the morning. Our couch is pretty comfy." She fully expected him to decline. It was crazy, him spending the night at her house, but he told her he'd actually planned on asking if it was alright as soon as they got the baby to sleep.

They got Atticus dressed in his pajamas. He kept looking around waiting for more directions, but she knew her boy was hungry and Bella was quite timid about her breastfeeding. She wasn't about to show him that, up close and personal. She stared, he didn't get the hint. "Um, he's hungry, then he'll probably knock out. We get up early, by 6 usually, then I can give you that ride, if that sounds okay."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Sure, sure. I need to make a call, then I guess I'll go find an extra pillow or something."

"Ask Barry, he'll give you everything you need. Thanks, for accepting it all so quickly, Jake. I know this was not the day you expected when you woke up this morning."

"Nope, it sure wasn't, but I'm so happy to be that boy's father, if you can't tell. I've been following you around like a real puppy the whole time. I just don't want to miss anything else. I'm already so proud of him and he doesn't even do much." They both giggled together.

He leaned over to kiss Atticus on the head. He was so close, she could smell his fresh clean, manly scent.

Bella made him a promise she intended to keep, "You won't miss anymore. Goodnight Jacob."

"Night Bells. Sweet dreams, Ace."

* * *

Jacob had actually gotten a few hours of sleep. He had a tiff on the phone outside on the porch which he figured was going to cause him some insomnia. After a brief pause outside Bella's door, listening to her and their son's even breathing, he calmed down some. They were both sound asleep. He felt exhausted, overwhelmed, but more than anything, content. They were safe and all under the same roof. It was crazy to think that he'd finally found what he was missing out on in life in order to finally feel such contentment. The wolf hadn't been at ease all year, and Jacob, the man wasn't much better. He tried so hard to be a good husband, the kind of partner his wife deserved, but something was always lacking.

He knew after the call with Kaleigh, he had a steep climb ahead. She knew something was wrong, different, or completely out of the ordinary. Mack told her he was MIA from the conference and the hotel and when he kept ignoring all her calls, she panicked. She'd issued some type of alert to everyone he knew.

Sam alerted him right before Ace's bath, **You better answer Kaleigh. You're with Bella, aren't you?**

Damn him. He told Jacob he'd cave into temptation once he got to California. He was pretty positive he'd stand his ground until she made contact. Her cryptic pleadings peaked his curiosity, concern... longing.

He tried to remain calm, but the lies had to stop somewhere. He told Kaleigh he was visiting a friend and would it explain it in more detail when he got home.

"Since when do you have a friend in California?"

"Kay, it's a long story. I didn't realize I did until... " he paused, not sure how much he should say over the phone.

"Until when, Jake?"

"Last year." There, he said it. That was the first step to admitting everything.

"Sure about that, because you've been weird for three years running, every time you go out of town."

"Yes, I'm sure I only found out about my friend last year. Look, I know I'm asking a lot of you to wait on an explanation, but I swear this time I'll explain everything. It's just not good enough to tell you over the phone. I'm fine, tell Mack everything's cool and that I'll be at all the meetings the rest of the week."

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you insinuating that I have my cousin spying on you?" She didn't give him a chance to answer before she disputed his suspicions even further. "Because you know I'm not like that. Mack and I are close. You know how we grew up like brother and sister. I have no idea why you're always so rude when it comes to him."

"You're right. I know Mack's just a go-getter and super loyal to you." He tried to hide the sarcasm in his voice. "I'm sorry, it took me so long to get back to you, but stop worrying, I'm fine. I promise, babe. We're going to work this out as soon as I get home."

"Okay, Jake. I believe you. I love you. I miss you so much. Do you at least miss me a little even though your friend has been monopolizing your day?"

"Yes, of course, I miss you, Kay. Love you too." They hung up, but Jacob didn't go back inside. He sat on the stoop for a good fifteen minutes. He noticed fewer lights were on in the house. He came back inside and found Barry wiping down the counter with only the stove light on. All the other lights had been extinguished. Monica had also disappeared. The house was dim and quiet.

"I made up the sofa for you."

"Thanks, man."

Jacob fixed a glass of water. It was obvious Barry was finding things to keep him busy in the already clean kitchen. Jacob finally asked, "Got something else you need to say?"

"Well, now that you mentioned it. She's still fragile and I have no idea how you plan to pull off the impossible scenario you're suggesting?"

"It's going to be complicated for awhile, but I'm determined to make it work. Don't you agree Ace needs both his parents?"

"I do, I have all along, but as you've probably guessed, I protect Bella first and foremost. It wasn't easy never telling you to get your ass back here whenever you asked how things were."

"I can understand that. I know how convincing Bells can be when she thinks she's right, but she's miserably wrong. I'm glad she had you guys, at least."

"She's a great mom, you're son is lucky to have her."

Jacob could already tell that was true. He really couldn't discuss it any further. He didn't want Barry to read too much into the conversation. He never knew Bella wanted kids or knew anything about taking care of a baby. He was thinking about his reluctance to starting a family so soon. He tried to tell himself, it had everything to do with timing, but the truth was every time Kaleigh mentioned children, it felt contrived. Now, he and Bella had a son and it felt genuine, like it was always meant to be.

* * *

He was trying to fall back to sleep after waking up and rethinking all his choices and decisions since finding out about his son. It was 2:45 in the morning. He needed to clear his mind soon or it was never going to shut down. Jacob heard a creak in the floor. Someone was walking around. He had to go check it out just to ease his overzealous wolf. He did something similar many nights at his own house. Kaleigh knew he had tons of peculiar qualities that she claimed were fairly new. The biggest problem he had to convince her of was that it was okay that he ran so hot, temperature wise. She wouldn't leave it alone for months after his so called illness.

He even faked a doctor's visit to prove he was fine. Their sex life had gone through some various ups and downs as well. Some things or lack of something didn't make sense to his wife. He was mid-twenties with a hot wife. It shouldn't be so difficult. Thankfully, after it was evident, Bella wasn't going to be in the picture, the wolf stopped fighting him so much against his chosen mate. It was a battle of wills, the man and wolf had chosen differently. However, the beast naturally craved touch and intimacy. Wolves were not accustomed to solitude and since he didn't have a pack, acceptance of Kaleigh was necessary.

Jacob knew for certain he couldn't be separated from his son. He made vows to Kaleigh, and he was a man of his word. He was going to beg her forgiveness, all the while asking for the impossible. He had his work cut out for him. For once, he hoped this week dragged on. He needed all the time and preparation he could get. If Kaleigh eventually agreed to giving Bella and Ace the garage apartment, then they all could start accepting the new norm. His man cave seemed like the best solution since he needed them to be near, but not exactly right under his wife's nose. Jacob was not naive though. The damn wolf was going to be an issue. He might have convinced him to grant some acceptance for his wife, because Bella was nowhere near them. He had no idea what would happen with both women in such close proximity. He liked to think he was in full control of his spirit animal, but his body had already started to betray him. He found his eyes drift towards her, every spot she moved. He still could get high off her scent alone and touching her earlier in the hallway felt euphoric. None of these renewed sensations were promising when he kept trying to convince himself, he could handle this new situation and way of life.

Jacob walked around to check that the house was secure, but he couldn't seem to break away from remaining outside Bella's bedroom door. She was the one that had gotten up and he could tell she was still awake. He wondered why, since his son was still sleeping sound. He leaned in to listen closer to the sounds she was making. He was pressed against the door frame contemplating his next move. He needed to get his ass back to the sofa and go to sleep, but what he really wanted to do was step inside her room and ask why she was awake in the middle of the night, but more importantly, he needed to know why Bella was crying.

 ** _~Thanks for reading._**

 ** _If you need a break from the angst, I'm going to start posting in my Christmas one shots, Silver Bells again for the month of December._**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Paradox

Jacob and Bella were going over all the final details with Barry and Monica. Those three stopped every few minutes to say how much they were going to miss each other. He promised them they could visit anytime. He'd even spring for the tickets. Monica was being begged by her mother to move to Portland to help care for her ailing grandmother. At first, Bella suggested, maybe she could move to Portland and help out Monica if she moved and then she and Ace would be a lot closer. Jacob had lost count how many times he said "no, not good enough" throughout the week.

They had to live in Seattle, with him. He wouldn't settle for anything less. Of course, convincing his wife was another story. He had to get her over the shock he cheated, then that he had a son, but still convince Kaleigh he was committed to her. He'd thought a lot about the promises he'd made. He vowed to love, honor and cherish Kaleigh. He knew that entire time, he also had a lifelong bond with Bella. Maybe he was lying to himself that he could be _everything_ to all the different people in his life. It didn't matter what happened to his reputation, he was going to do right by his boy. He also had to protect him along with his mother.

He started paying attention to the conversation again. "Are you sure, Bar? I can get the rest packed up."

"No hun, I know what's important. I'll get it shipped out Monday morning." Bella had two giant pieces of luggage. He was shocked she could fill a bag that big with baby clothes, but she did. He kept telling her he'd buy everything they needed as soon as the got there.

"Make a list, Bells. I'll get it."

"What should we do with all the things I have here?" Bella said her co-workers threw her a shower right before Ace was born and that's how she acquired the swing, the bouncy seat and most of the clothing.

Monica said she should donate the things she wasn't taking to a woman's shelter. They agreed that was the best solution.

He tried like hell to switch flights to a later one Friday night. That flight was sold out. He was able to get Bella and Ace seats in coach on the afternoon flight. That was one of the reasons they were going over the plan. He would be in business class with Mack. That meant, he and Bella would pretend to be strangers on the flight. He hated it. He was already really worried about it. She'd never flown with Ace. He hoped it went smoothly for them, but he couldn't risk checking on them. Mack would be on his damn phone as soon as they touched the ground.

Barry and Monica asked if they could take Ace on one final stroll around the neighborhood. He suspected they were giving them one more opportunity to iron out some other details. The stroller was one thing Bella said had to go with them. The infant carrier fit inside it and she could push the baby all the way to the plane entrance. The crew would store it and set it up for her at the exit.

Bella was more stressed than she was letting on. He could sense it. She was leaning over the counter working on her checklist. He saw her roll her shoulders every few minutes, always followed by an eye rub. Jacob resisted that first night. He didn't go inside her room. He still wanted to know why she was crying, but he'd kept an appropriate distance. He thought back to their friendship, the way it was in the beginning. She was comfortable with his physical nature. In fact, he was almost certain she liked it way more than she ever let on despite her relationship status at the time.

He stopped second guessing himself and offered a friendly gesture. "It'll be fine, Bells. Relax." Jacob was only going to rub over her shoulders a few times, but his touch did something to both of him. He felt like a zap of static electricity run up his arm and she jumped like he scared the life out of her. Bella took a giant step back. She looked at him like he'd lost his mind for touching her. He studied her closer. She was breathing heavier and her right hand went up to the back of her neck. She was kneading the area herself.

"Sorry, you looked tense. Did I rub too hard?"

"No, you just surprised me and I'm really sensitive right there." She was still massaging the same spot.

He didn't remember her having a "sensitive" spot and Jacob knew her body, before he actually _**knew**_ her body. He'd given her plenty of neck rubs. "Where? Show me."

She shook her arms out and rolled both her shoulders. "No, I'm fine. I need to double check the list once more."

Now he was definitely curious. She was avoiding him for some reason. He didn't care what she said about it, he had to see. Jacob pulled her top off to the side and took a look. Bella jerked away again. "Stop it. I said it's fine."

He dropped his hands. Memories, flashes, feelings all came forth. He felt heat and painful tickling up and down his spine. No. That wasn't possible. It... it was... it wasn't though. He couldn't have marked her. That's not what he was looking at. Jacob grabbed her again. All the while, Bella was screeching and fighting him to leave her alone.

"Stop squirming, dammit. I need to get a good look at that." He also leaned in and took a deep draw off her skin back there. All this time, he'd been fooling himself. He kept thinking the mixture of his scent was all because of the pup in the room and Ace was practically hanging on Bells ninety percent of the time. That wasn't the case now. His scent was actually embedded there... in Bella. "Fuck." He growled as he released her.

Bella started downplaying it. "My skin's tender. I know you didn't mean it. It's not a big deal. Barry's the only one that ever saw it. I'm ready to grow my hair back out, no one ever has to know."

"I didn't bite you hard. It was barely a nip."

"I know. It was just a hickey or so I thought." She blushed profusely after bringing up their night together.

Jacob tried to remember that part more clearly. He swore he blacked out that moment for some reason. The scar didn't look exactly like Kim's or Rachel's, so maybe it wasn't truly a mating mark or at least, it didn't mean the same thing. It couldn't. Bella couldn't be his mate, not like what being a marked mate meant. He was a married man. He proved the wolf wrong, he was in control of his own life.

Suddenly, he was filled with a surge of intense rage. He was furious: pissed at Bella for messing up everything when she ran off to save Cullen, hatred for the tick and his family and that the supernatural cursed all their existences. Worst of all was how he felt about himself. Kaleigh didn't deserve to be pulled into this either. He screwed up long ago when Bella opened herself to him that night and he almost kissed her. That's when it happened, even though it should've happened the first time he saw her after the phase. He and Bella were unique. Sam and the others didn't believe him at first. The pixie ruined the near perfect moment and then Bella shut down and pushed him away. She chose _him,_ that's why he promised himself, he'd never tell her the truth. He only wanted her if she truly wanted him. He held out hope until the very end, even there in the secluded spot after her wedding when they danced. He pleaded with his eyes. _Just say, yes, Bells. That you don't really want him and want me instead._ He would have confessed everything, but it never happened.

* * *

Jacob had to get some air. He was about to lose it, not knowing what it all meant. He tried to process what he thought it meant. Bella stepped in, she touched his arm. "Seriously, Jake. You're starting to freak me out. I don't know why you're getting so upset. It's fine."

"I need to... " He turned towards a door that led to a small backyard. She followed him, knowing what he meant. He was practically vibrating from the urge.

"You can't. There's too many neighbors, houses."

"Bells, step back. You know what could happen. I can't control it."

She stood firmly on the tops of his feet. "STOP! Yes, you can. You're stronger than that." Bella grabbed for his face, "Look at me. Jake, Atticus will be back soon. I know you're upset, but you're stronger than this. Calm down."

Jacob stared into her eyes... his imprint's eyes. She was the only one that could ever reach the depths of him. Bella rubbed up and down his arms several times before holding onto his hands. "Talk, no running away to go wolf. Why are you so angry?"

He growled, "Because he's a selfish prick. I hate him." Was it true? Did he hate the beast or the man or both?

Bella persisted. She wouldn't step away or back down. "No, you don't. He's part of you. I'm fine. You would never hurt me. We have our beautiful son. Isn't that what you said? He'll make it all turn out fine in the end. We have to believe together." She kept talking and he felt each word out of her mouth slowly pull him back, all the way human. He thought less and less of bursting out of his skin and more about wrapping himself around her. Jacob couldn't have a wife and a marked mate. He couldn't even tell Bella what that meant. He really thought it wasn't the same since it wasn't a full, deep impression in her skin, but now he was picturing making it legit. He was remembering what it was like to be buried in her. His mouth was practically salivating imagining doing it the right way and making her his permanently, so that no other man could ever touch her. She had calmed him fully. Bella was the one holding onto him. He returned her embrace and breathed her scent deep into his nostrils.

They stayed like that for a period of time by the backdoor. Eventually, she started to pull away before he was ready. She made the mistake of looking up. Once they were seeing each other fully again, he craved another kind of contact. Jacob closed the distance. He leaned in inch by inch. Bella looked bewildered, but maybe also desiring more than a hug. Her lips were all he could focus on, so much for days of being appropriate. He wanted to refresh his memory of her taste and nothing would stop him from crossing the line.

The door swung open, Monica announcing the obvious. "We're back." Bella practically ran to the other side of the room. Jacob turned around and stared outside again. Barry cleared his throat ten seconds to late to make the moment even more awkward than it was.

So busted. He should lie and say he was getting something out of her eye, but he continued to stand there like an absolute moron. Bella busied herself getting Ace out of the stroller.

Barry nudged her out of the way and did it himself. He picked up Ace and walked him straight over. "There, your boy filled his diaper while we were gone and that's why we cut our walk short. Why don't you handle it, Daddy, since shit moments are your specialty?"

"Barry." Bella said his name in a high-pitched, corrective way.

He grabbed her arm and said they needed to chat. Jacob didn't like her being touched by another male so soon after being in his arms, but he stifled a growl. He nodded, "I got it Bells. It's fine."

He already knew where everything was on the changing table in her room.

Barry and Bella disappeared into his room and he got started changing Ace. Ugh, filled was right. How was that even possible? He was so little. She'd always been next to him when he changed him. He hoped he didn't screw up or worse, get poop on him, but he remembered his training and it wasn't so bad. Ace was fresh and clean and the diaper was tucked away in the special diaper pail that supposedly kept out odors. He thought it needed dumping to the outside trashcan though. Jacob had a seat on the bed with his son after using a half a dozen wipes on his hands and arms too for good measure.

He felt the need to confess some of his problems to the nearest listener that would never reveal his secrets. "Little man, I'm in big trouble." Ace grabbed his lips and pinched them hard. Those lips, the same ones that wanted to kiss Bella so bad again, it hurt. Jacob hunted for a toy that would keep his son occupied until his mother was back. He wasn't going to spy, but Barry didn't realized how easy it was for him to hear his voice through the thin walls.

"What the hell was that?"

"Nothing. You wouldn't understand."

"Right, I wouldn't, because you were the one that waited too long. What's done is done. You lost him or he lost you, whichever it is. This is only supposed to be about the kid. I saw you firsthand this year. You're already setting yourself up for more heartbreak."

"Barry, drop it. You misunderstood what you thought you saw. Jake is Atticus's father, that's it. I'm doing the right thing, finally. Isn't that what you and Monica and my dad wanted?"

"We wanted you to tell him the truth, not move in with him. What he's asking is crazy. You know that, right? You're about to get caught up in the middle of a huge fight with his wife who we know nothing about, mind you. What if she's a psycho bitch?"

"Jake wouldn't be with a psycho. Look, I know it's weird, but you don't know him like I do and I understand why he needs Atticus with him."

He listened to more of their arguing. Bella held firm. Barry didn't know all of it. Jacob couldn't settle for shared custody like most normal people that weren't together. He wondered what things Barry had seen over the past year. Bella already told him how he made her feel. He apologized, she apologized, but were the words enough to get past all the hurt they'd cause each other? Ace threw down the soft book he'd gotten for him to play with him. He tried a few other toys, but nothing satisfied him. He could go from playful to extremely upset in a matter of seconds.

Jacob tried settling him down, but he only wanted his Mommy. Bella appeared in the doorway soon after the wailing. "He needs a nap."

"Oh, yeah, I figured and maybe a hit off the... " he circled his hands around his flat chest after handing him over to her.

Bella was amused. "Yeah, maybe some of those too. Well, I guess this is it. I'll see you tomorrow at the airport."

He really didn't want to leave, but there was no other reason to stay and he stopped sleeping on her sofa after that first night. It was too suspicious for Kaleigh's cousin. Jacob bent down and kissed his son goodbye. Bella managed to calm him down quickly, but he was frantically rooting around her chest region. He didn't want to deny him his special diet longer than necessary. Jacob brushed a stray hair from her face. He hadn't said it, but the truth was obvious from the beginning. "Um, one more thing, Bells."

She looked a little apprehensive. "Yes."

"It's just, you're a really good mother to our son. Thanks, he's a lucky kid."

"Thank you. That means a lot. I think he's very lucky to have two parents who would face any obstacle to give him a good life. You're a great dad too."

"I'll try. I know I'm already screwing up some. The first mistake was calling you a bitch in front of him. I should've never said that. I'm sorry."

"He's a little baby, I'm sure he won't remember."

"Yeah, but you will and so will I. No more blaming, no more excuses, let's just do our best for Atticus and take it one day at a time."

She held out her hand and he shook it even though it was far less than what they'd almost done earlier. Bella smiled. "You've got yourself a deal."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I have to give a shout out to Sassy on Tricky Raven. She put up a GIF several updates ago. She nailed it because it was from the kitchen scene in New Moon. That was always my intended moment for the imprint in this fic. Thanks so much for sharing, Sassy. Hint hint, I'd love to see it again.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**~A/N My muse has been active. I'm several chapters ahead. We can do this fast or slow. Let me know what you prefer. LOL! I have to admit, I had some fun writing this scene, not all stress and angst.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 12: Give as Good as You Get

Barry and Monica were supposed to get Bella and Ace checked in. Jacob was sitting near the gate looking out into the crowd hoping to catch a glimpse of them soon. She could very well back out on him, but he didn't think she would. Charlie practically screamed in his ear when he called and told him they were coming back to Washington earlier that morning. He said he wished he would've called sooner because he was working and couldn't be there to pick them up at the airport. He planned to drive up the following afternoon for a visit.

He asked if they needed to stay with him for now. Jacob plainly answered that they'd be staying at his place in the garage apartment.

"Come again?"

"Yeah, I'm going to move them in the apartment. You know it's separate from the house."

"Yes, but it's still right next to it. What about Kaleigh?"

"Well, she's going to be upset at first, I'm sure. That's why they're going to stay in a hotel for a few days first, so Kaleigh has time to process it."

"Jake, are you okay? Because, you don't sound like yourself. This is the most irrational solution I've ever heard and I doubt she only needs a few days. Don't you know women better than this? Pardon my French, but she will flip the fuck out and rightly so. I love my daughter and you're like a son to me, but you both wronged this woman and you're about to make it even worse."

"I'm fine, Charlie and I know it sounds crazy, but I'm going to make it all right eventually. I was shocked to find out we have a son, of course, but I love him so much. I have to do this. I can't be away from Ace."

"Ace? Who the hell is Ace?" Charlie waited a few seconds and chanted his full name under his breath. "Oh, wait, Ace, I get it. I like that." He went onto say the offer to have Bella and Ace at his house was an open invitation. He didn't understand why Jacob couldn't find them something nearby, but not actually on the property. Kaleigh was a Realtor and he was almost certain if she didn't plan to divorce him immediately, she'd be sure to start a search as well. No one but Bella, the Cullens and Sam would understand why he needed them practically under his nose.

The guys eventually found out that Jacob phased again. He had a few offers by some of them to try again so he'd have backup, but so far it wasn't necessary. He told them all the majority of the story. He kept the sex parts between him and Sam only, but the others were not as mad at Bella as he imagined they might be. They were all happy she wasn't really dead, but Quil and Embry knew him best. They were pretty concerned he went ahead and married Kaleigh, especially Embry. Jake was a little shocked at how he reacted. Embry got along well with Kaleigh and had accused him several times of not putting enough into the relationship. Emb never thought he was fair to her. The whole truth was bound to cause another argument he didn't have the time or energy to deal with.

* * *

He was about to go fucking stir crazy sitting in the cramped seat waiting for them. He texted Barry, but hadn't heard back. At least, Mack wasn't breathing down his neck. He was at the bar probably trying to impress a few women. Kaleigh had the nerve to gripe about some of his friends' lack of ethics when it came to the opposite sex. Mack was a horn dog and Jacob was sick of hearing about all his conquests. Of course, he never could say anything, because he was saint and savior in his wife's eyes. Her real siblings were pretty aloof and wrapped in their own superficial lives. She and Mack were the more down to earth members of the family.

He was just about to stand up and take a walk. He needed to give her a call because any minute, they were sure to start boarding. Jacob worried about every possible thing that could be wrong. What if they were still in traffic? Maybe she was having trouble with security. He hated that they couldn't come together.

He saw Mack sauntering over. "If only we had another night in LA, you should've seen the Amazon goddess I was chatting up a few minutes ago. You know how I feel about hooking up with a tall women?"

Jacob didn't want to hear another word. Instead, he suggested he stay. "Hey, you only live once, why don't you go back and see if she's still around. You can get a flight tomorrow probably."

"Funny Black, but I don't waste money, unlike you. Driving home. I swear that was the dumbest shit I'd ever heard last year."

He didn't have the patience to get into it with Mack. He had to go figure out what the hold up was with Bells. Mack was facing east and Jacob was looking the opposite direction where he expected Bella. He heard Ace behind him before he could turn around.

"Uh oh, hope that screaming kid isn't going on our plane. Please don't stop, not this gate." Jacob wished he could kick the shit out of him and say it was a reflex. "Oh, maybe I spoke to soon. That is one yummy mummy pushing that howling tyke. Did I ever mention a MILF is on my list?"

He knew Mack's filthy list included any and every type of woman. He'd heard bits and pieces of it over the years. Most of it was bullshit that Mack would never cross off. His game wasn't that great, but he had money and wasn't completely hideous looking. Rachel said he was hot once and Paul instantly took a disliking to him, much like Jake.

Jacob felt the vibrations jumpstart, starting at his fingers and toes, moving up his limbs, up and down his spine. He looked at his hands in his lap shaking. His nostrils flared from the rush of heat fueled air coming in and out of his lungs. Mack could very well be speaking his last words if Jacob gave into the impulse. He pictured it like a like a stop motion sequence how it would play out. He didn't even need to phase. Jacob would jump up, grab Mack by the throat and squeeze so hard, his eyes would bulge out their sockets. He'd reach in and grab the offending organ that dared to lust and belittle Bells in front of him while insulting his distressed pup. Jacob would then shove that tongue back down Mack's own throat and watch him suffer and die at his feet. It was a frightening, horrific scene that would never happen, at least not today. Bella strolled by, he caught her in his peripheral vision. There was no way he could brutally murder a man in front of her or Ace, not to mention, he couldn't go to prison.

He cleared his throat first and pushed the beast down. "Mack, shut the fuck up and sit down. You're already drunk and we haven't even boarded." He behaved and did like Jacob asked. He was a pain in the ass, but wasn't a complete idiot. Mack was a little scared of Jake when he pushed him too far. Jacob shoved him, "Stop staring. You look demented."

"I wasn't staring, but she really is pretty and she seems super stressed. I was thinking about offering assistance. Notice, she's all alone. I'm trying to spot a ring and I don't think there is one."

"Not every taken person wears a ring and how the hell could you help her? You don't have kids or know anything about them."

Mack sat back and crossed his arms. He mumbled some crap about how Jacob seemed to take or leave his wedding ring regularly and he was surprised his cousin allowed that. He twirled the ring on his finger after being reminded of it. He did remove it often because of the wolf. Today, it was on to remind him that he made the ultimate promise to Kaleigh. There was already a battle taking place on the inside and they weren't anywhere close to living the new way of life. Everyone else was right, he was fooling himself. Had the wolf started his descent into madness?

He took a few more depth breaths. He could smell them despite the crowded airport. Bella had plugged Ace's mouth with a pacifier and he was quiet except for a wet sucking noise that Jacob could hear. She was facing the window, not him. In fact, Bella hadn't glanced his way even once. Maybe, she imagined, if they made eye contact, Mack would spot the connection between them. He actually missed her face already. He wanted to read her emotions in some way and he was usually good at knowing what was going on in that complicated mind of hers.

His thoughts were so wrapped around the two of them, he didn't even noticed when the announcement for business class boarding came on. Mack nudged him and he started reluctantly walking with him. Bella was already standing, she'd follow soon. He knew that, but just as he hit the tunnel, he swore a strong stink filtered through the air. No fucking way. Not here, not now in this God forsaken airport where she was with his son. Jacob tried to turn back, but the other passengers filled the narrow hallway. Panic filled him, he had to go back until he realized the rest of the passengers were heading that way. He saw Bella being helping by an airline employee. She was almost on board and the scent had quickly faded. He knew the plane was free of bloodsuckers, maybe he was so nuts, he invented the smell. He sure as hell hoped that was it, because he already had enough problems to worry about without those filthy demons already on Bella's tail.

One of Jake's other fears came true. Ace was unhappy. He heard him start to cry again after take off. Mack lifted his head. "Oh come on. I'm going to need another drink if that kid's going to cry the whole way."

"Shut up, it's not that bad. I'm sure he'll calm down soon."

"He, how'd you know it's a boy? I didn't see the baby, all covered up in that carrier thing. When did you?"

"Um," Jacob thought fast. "There was a blue blanket over him, idiot. I just assumed."

Mack mumbled again about Bella. "I wonder if I'd look like a hero for offering her a hand? Chicks eat that shit up when guys like kids. I got fifty bucks says I can get her number if I go back there when the fasten seat belt sign goes off."

Jacob's fists clinched tight. He pondered how fast he could deliver a blow, hard and quick to the middle of Mack's nose? Maybe, it would be so spontaneous and unexpected, no one would know why that moron was knocked clean out, pouring blood all over himself. He was going to crack, sooner than later. He was worried about his son and the stress Bella was under all because of his ultimatum, but Mack had to exaggerate everything by talking about Bells in a sleazy manner. Then there was that brief moment in the airport, when he thought he smelled a bloodsucker. It had been a long time, what the fuck were the odds? He wished he would've had the opportunity to look into it before they boarded.

There were moments of silence, but also pained cries from Ace. What the hell was wrong? He'd never heard him like that, although he'd only known him a few days. Jacob waited maybe ten more minutes after the the light was off. He couldn't take it any longer. Fuck Mack, he'd deal with him later.

* * *

"What's the matter?"

Bella was trying to hold the pacifier in his mouth while snuggling him against her chest. "Jake, what are you doing?"

"Helping."

"You can't, Kaleigh's cousin."

"Forget about him. Why's he so upset?"

She started explaining about the pressure and something about Ace's ears. Jacob didn't understand all of it, but he knew his son was hurting and was shocked to find out that he'd recently seen a doctor with an ear infection. He reached down without thinking and picked him up. Ace liked being up on his father's shoulder. He instantly calmed down and started to appreciate his new vantage point. Bella's face softened. He announced he was going to walk him a little.

"But... "

"I'll handle it." That was his new catch phrase and it was a load of bull, but he kept saying it about everything. "Why didn't you tell me, he'd been sick?" They'd had so many conversations lately, but the fact that Atticus inherited her Eustachian tubes hadn't come up. Bella said she'd tell him all about it later, but that he was fine other than his tubes had fluid recently. Jacob smiled at a nearby flight attendant. "Is it okay if I walk him around the aisle until he settles down?"

"Sure, sir, happens all the time." Jacob walked and talked to his son back and forth several times. Bella would laugh every time they passed her row. It was on about the fourth pass he saw a familiar head lean out past the seats from business class. He knew Mack would eventually wonder why he disappeared without a word. He turned around and walked back to Bella again. She commented the baby's eyes were finally closed. Jacob was going to give him back to her or put him in his carrier, whichever she preferred, but as soon as Ace's head came off his shoulder, the tears started up again, so Jake stood back up and walked again. He pretty much had the attention of the entire plane or at least it seemed that way.

They were probably all secretly begging him to walk the whole remainder of the flight if it kept the infant content. Bella stopped him again. "I could try feeding him again, but he didn't want it earlier. Maybe then he'll stay asleep."

Jacob wished like hell he could sit with them, but the window seat was occupied by an older gentleman that slept through all of it. He told her he'd keep him a little while longer. Hell, Mack saw him already. The jig was practically up, so he might even go back to his seat. Jacob asked her why she was so late. She said she was at the airport, but kept walking around since they'd be confined to one spot for so long. He didn't want to scare her about the potential vamp in the airport, but Jacob asked if she ever felt like someone was staring or following her.

"No, why?"

"It's nothing. I'm going to go sit. I'll see you in a bit. He should sleep a little while, right? It's his naptime." She nodded. Jacob already knew a lot about his schedule. He walked back to his section.

"Move." Mack preferred the aisle seat, but Jacob wasn't giving him a choice.

He looked at Jake, but Bella had tossed the blue blanket over their son before he left her, so Mack wouldn't see much other than the top of his head.

"So. This is a really fucking weird day."

"Shut up, Mack. Just sit there and don't talk. If you wake him up, I'll toss you out the emergency door."

They sat there a few minutes before Mack broke his silence and got one step closer to an entirely different type of air travel. "Let me see that kid." Jacob turned his head and gave him a go to hell look. Mack gave him a similar look. "I'm not a moron. I graduated ahead of you and I'm Downey's favorite because I'm the best. Something's off. No way would you go pick up a random baby and lull him to sleep, nor would any sane mother hand over her child to a stranger. Not to mention, you've been growling out me since I spotted the MILF." Cue Jacob's uncontrollable growl. "See, there it is again. How do you do that? Is it from the chest or the back of the throat? Never mind, here's my theory. You're a fucking douche. I knew it! I told Kaleigh back in college, you were shady as hell. No one's that broody and antisocial without having a past or secret other life. That's your kid, isn't it?"

Jacob wasn't saying anything. Most of what Mack was saying was true. He was fully prepared to sit there the whole time Ace slept without replying to any of the accusations. As usual, Kaleigh's cousin couldn't leave things alone. This wasn't new to Jacob. He was always trying to one up him. Mack's the reason he met Kaleigh because she attended an event at school with him. The fact was he knew Mack first because they had almost every class together. He hated him then and he hated him even more right about now. He was not the boss's favorite either, but he was always trying to undermine Jake's climb in the company. He wanted to get his hands on every project, second guess him, make him look bad, or inept every chance he could get. Mack was fully prepared to work somewhere else until he heard where Jacob got hired and then low and behold, he showed up for an interview as well. Their long, embattled history was tumultuous and now it was bordering on deadly.

Mack pulled his cell out of his pocket and rested it on his thigh. He lightly tapped his finger up and down. It sounded like a jackhammer to Jake's sensitive ears. He was going to call or text Kay the second he was allowed. Without interrupting his son's precious slumber, Jake swiped the phone with his other hand, crushed it like a bug and dropped it back onto Mack's crotch.

"Hey." His voice rose and the baby startled. Jacob gave him the look again and then gently patted his son's back until he relaxed again back into his dream state. Mack lowered his voice. "That's the newest iphone, you ass. You owe me 800 bucks." He dug all the remnants of the broken phone out of his lap. He swore as tiny glass shards stuck in his skin. "I'm bleeding, fucker."

Mack fiddled with the phone, trying to figure out if it had any sort of life left in it. The flight attendant stopped to see if they wanted a drink and she reminded Mack he couldn't use his phone which really got him going. He lifted the gnarled contraption. "Seriously, you think I'm trying to talk on this piece of shit. Are you stupid?"

A male attendant heard the commotion and Jacob and Mack were warned for causing a disturbance. Mack profusely apologized and asked for a trash basket and some first aid. Finally, it was just the three of them again.

Jacob told him he didn't know the whole story and he was determined to make things right with Kaleigh.

Mack was thankful the flight attendant forgave him and let him have alcohol. He was chuckling, as he swirled ice around his glass. "Go on. This, I've got to here. You're taking your mistress and bast... " Jake's furious gaze interrupted that word on the tip of Mack's tongue. Mack knew better than to call his son a name. "Um, I mean, baby home to her. That sounds like a stellar idea to give your floundering marriage a boost."

Jacob wondered how he knew his marriage was floundering, but he and Kaleigh were so close, who knew what she'd told him at one time or another.

"I've made mistakes, but I still love her. I never meant to hurt her."

"Well, you've underestimated my Kay and also Graham and Selene, they will skewer you. Jesus, Downey has an ethics clause too. You'll lose everything. That chick is hot, but is she worth your whole life?"

Jacob took those familiar three depth breaths, the ones that allowed Mack to remain living. "Remember your broken phone, unless you want that to be a body part, don't every talk about Bella again, understand. She and Ace never asked for this, just like Kaleigh. I've made a mess of all our lives, but I'm going to fix it. Bella is not my mistress, it was a one time thing. You need to hold all your judgment and commentaries until my wife and I have sorted it all out. You've known me a long time, have a little faith. Can you please keep quiet for tonight only? Give me a chance to speak with Kaleigh first. That's all I'm asking."

"Fine, but I'm doing it for Kaleigh, not you." Ace woke up about that time, and wiggled his way out of the blanket. Jacob shifted him around in his lap, so he could see who had him. He was happy his son seemed used to him in such a short time. He woke up pretty happy considering how he'd been in the beginning of the flight. Even Mack cracked a smile at him. "I have to admit, that's a cute kid, Black."

"Thanks."

Jacob noticed Bella's scent stronger. He turned and saw her moving down the aisle.

"Hey, thanks for the break, but I better take over this last hour." Mack was really staring this time.

Jacob worried what he might say, "Bella, I presume."

"Yes, hello."

He reached across Jacob and Ace. They shook hands in front of him. "Mackenzie Langston. It's very unexpected to be meeting you, but pleasant all the same. Beautiful child you have there."

"Um, thanks, Mackenzie. I'm sorry for disrupting your flight."

Jacob knew absolutely no one called Mack his full name other than his grandmother who passed away two years ago. He didn't know why he even said it.

She said he was probably hungry by now and she didn't want him to get upset again. He wasn't thinking how it sounded, but he handed her the blanket when she picked up Ace. "Here, cover up." Her eyes widened and then she rolled them. Why the hell did he say that? Bella turned around without another word and hurried back to their seats. He'd embarrassed her.

"So, you mean it, Jake. You're not still with her." He paused a few seconds. "Bella. I've heard of her, haven't I?"

"Maybe, I don't want to talk about it, but no, we are not together. I swear it."

* * *

The flight finally ended, thank God. The four of them were going after the bags together. Bella said Mackenzie a couple of more times before Jake corrected her. "Just Mack, Bells."

"Now, hold on. She can call me Mackenzie. I like the way she says it. So how long have you been away from Washington, Bella?"

"Nine years."

"Wow, but now it's calling you back?"

Bella ducked her head. She got really quiet. Jacob told him to quit and changed the subject. "Where's your buddy picking us up?"

Jacob planned to get Bella and Ace a cab. Mack's friend and neighbor was giving them a lift. He'd take him home first. Kaleigh should be home waiting, she hated the airport. He couldn't wait even a minute to start divulging all the truths now that Mack knew. As much loyalty that he showed Kaleigh, he sure was friendly to Bells. Jacob knew it was just one more way he tried to get under his skin.

He even helped with one of Bella's bags. Jacob helped with the rest, the stroller and the seat. He slipped extra money to the driver and asked if he could help her at the hotel. Jacob had already insisted on giving her some cash, but he stuck a credit card in her hand when he told them both goodbye. "For getting what you need."

"Jake, I don't."

"Take it, Bells. I want him to have everything he needs. The hotel should have a portable crib set up for you, but you'll need everything when you get to the house. I'll be in touch... soon."

The driver said they needed to get moving. The airport was busy. Jacob shut the door and looked up to find Mack tossing his bags into a car, not just any car. It was Kaleigh's car. Son of bitch. She was at the airport. Mack had already started with the double crossing. Bella's taxi drove away just as Kaleigh ran out to run towards him.

He picked her up and she peppered his face with kisses, "Babe, what are you doing here?" He was saying the words to her, but looking at her stupid cousin. He would love to walk over and permanently remove his shit-eating grin.

"Oh, well, Mack called last night, said Tyson canceled. I couldn't wait to see you anyway, so surprise."

They all climbed in with Jacob driving. Kaleigh started talking a million miles an hour like always about a closing the day before. Finally, she said what she must have seen. "Who was that in the cab?"

"Oh, yeah Jake and I, were doing a good deed for the day. We helped out a single mom with a bunch of luggage."

"Awe, that was so sweet, my two best guys. You're both so thoughtful, lending a hand and giving your time. Let me guess, you paid her cab didn't you, sweetie?"

"Um... "

Mack couldn't stop cracking himself up. "Oh Kay, our boy's full of surprises. You have no idea what all he gave that woman."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Believe it or not, Jacob Black is probably my favorite character ever. I'm throwing major obstacles his way, but I have faith he's strong enough to handle it. Anyone else still think this might get a little worse before it gets better?**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**~A/N Altercation time. This chapter might not be exactly what you all were expecting. Hope to keep you guessing, always. Fitting, this is Ch. 13, it might be Jacob's most unlucky one yet.**_

Chapter 13: Anything

Jacob winced as he cleaned his cut. It was deep, full of muck and grime. Who they hell knew what might be in there. He was beat down, the worst he'd been since the newborn battle, but there was no Dr. Fang to tend to him this time. He spit out another mouthful of blood in the sink. That was the worst part by far. He finally could see how bad it was. He jammed the molar back in where it dangled from the roots. Raw, exposed nerves meant excruciating pain. He'd prefer broken bones over tooth pain anyday.

"Shit," he cursed again. He rinsed and spit a few more times. The blood slowed. He tapped the injured tooth and it held firm, barely loose at all. Dentist. Top that. Wolf healing worked wonders, but he could've used a bit of Novocain. Once he was cleaned up, almost all the wounds knitted themselves back together quickly.

It had been one helluva night, that was for certain. He would be lucky if he got an hour of sleep. Of course, he was kicked out. He was expecting that. Some of the other things that occurred were a complete shock, of course. Perils that occurred when one went out, looking for trouble. Jacob felt like fighting someone when he'd left home, but he found a major battle, unexpectedly.

He knew now, he was right. She'd been followed. They might not have been on the same plane, but the smell from LA was exactly what he thought it was. He was pretty sure, she'd been followed all these years off and on and it was almost too much for him to even imagine. Bella constantly being stalked and in danger from vamps even in Los Angeles, riled the wolf like nothing else.

Not only did he have a very angry wife to contend with, a demanding job, but he needed to protect Bells and Ace 24/7 and that wasn't possible unless he surrendered something. Moving them in this place was only a start. Unexpectedly, by some miracle, Kaleigh had just about agreed to his proposal. Once he cleaned up the bathroom, he fell back on the couch in the living room that would soon belong to Bella. He closed his eyes and thought back to how quickly his happy wife's attitude changed when she heard what he had to say.

* * *

Kaleigh looked worried when he asked her to sit down. Jacob didn't even want to take the time to enjoy the dinner she'd prepared for him.

"Is this about your friend?"

Jacob took her hands in his. He had to start at the beginning. "Remember, my friend, Charlie's daughter?"

"Yes, Bella."

"Well, we've never really talked about that in great detail."

She said she understood, since it must have been so painful to lose someone so young, that was such a good friend. She knew how scarred he already was from losing his mother as a boy and then to suffer another tragedy was almost too much. Kaleigh was being extremely sympathetic and tender which made it that much harder to spit out the rest.

Jacob blew out breath and rolled his shoulders a few times. "Kay, Bells was always a bit more than a friend. I never elaborated."

"Oh, well, I suspected. I guess. I grilled Emily, but she didn't say much other than you were pretty heartbroken she married someone you didn't like. No one forgets their first crush, Jake and yours seemed like an especially sad story. Why does California make you think of her?"

Kaleigh called Bella a crush, she really was in for the shock of her life. "Because, Bella faked her death and lives there or she did because I brought her back here. It's not safe for her to be alone."

"Wh... what's that even mean? Faked her death. Who the hell is this woman and why are you mixed up in it?"

Kaleigh pulled back her hands and held them against her thighs. She was already anticipating more bad news. Jacob tried to paint a picture similar to the one he told Charlie. The Cullens made it so Bella met the wrong people and they were dangerous.

"Okay, that sounds rather police drama-ish, so I trust her police chief father will come for her and put her under some sort of protection. She left all of you and now she just expects everyone to stop what they're doing and help her. I can't believe how much grief you experienced and it was all a lie. Unbelievable. I'm beginning to think this Bella person can't be trusted. How do we know anything she told you is true? Sounds like a whack-job to me."

"She's not."

"So after all these years, she seeks you out and tells you a sob story and that's it, you just believe her? That doesn't sound like you at all. You're way more guarded than that, Jake."

"Kaleigh, I called her to hear her voice... a lot, actually. Her cell never was shut off and she never answered. That is, until last year, she picked up."

Her hand covered her mouth as she shook her head. "All this time we were together, you were still hung up on her? How did I miss that?"

He wanted to say that wasn't the case, but it would be an obvious lie. He'd just admitted he called her to hear her voice.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

"So you want to reconnect with her, that's what this is really about. You're breaking up with me," her voice cracked.

"No, of course not." He closed his eyes. "It's just. There's more. I was a wreck after hearing everything that happened once Bella confessed it all to me. I never elaborated on our history, but it was rather intense and my emotions got the best of me. I wasn't myself, so... "

She finished his sentence. "You slept with her." He was actually relieved she said it, so he didn't have to. Fucking coward.

Perhaps, she was hoping he'd say, of course not like he did to her breaking up question, but Jacob had to tell the truth. "Yes."

She bounded off the sofa and screamed at the top of her lungs. "I can't believe you. How could you do that to us? Right before the wedding. That's why you were so strange." She walked around shouting various other frustrations and unflattering names for him. "And you disappeared again from the conference just days ago. So that's it, you were off fucking her again while you are married to me." Jacob followed her and tried to hold her still, but she pounded against his chest with her fists. She didn't hit him too many times, he knew it had to hurt. "Get out, you filthy, lying piece of shit! I can't even be in the same room with you. Go to your precious Bella, you already said you brought her back with you. You both sound perfect for each other. Hope you have a miserable life together."

"Kaleigh. That's not what happened. Let me explain. What I did was a one time thing. I'm not screwing around, and I don't want to leave. I want to find a way to work things out with you. You're my wife. I love you."

"Great. I can tell how much marriage means to you, Jake. You only liked the idea of marriage because you wanted to have security and to make up for your painful childhood." She paused and he didn't know if what she said was right, so he kept quiet. "Fine, explain the rest, make me understand. What the hell are you leaving out?"

Jacob told her he never planned to see Bella again after what happened between them. He made his decision, he was going to home to marry her. He meant it when he made his commitment to her. "But she called as soon as I got to town."

"Anxious for round two?"

"No, more like ready to let me know the consequences of our rash decision."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Kaleigh, Bella gave birth to a son three months ago... my son."

He watched her eyes roll back in her head and she wobbled. He was sure she was about to pass out. Jacob grabbed her which sparked another round of her trying to violently lash out at him.

Lots of time went by, many more angry outbursts. Jacob made many apologies and begged for understanding and forgiveness which he didn't expect right away. "It's not his fault. He deserves a stable home with both his parents around. I'd like for them to live in the garage apartment for now, so I can be an integral part of my son's life."

She started laughing hysterically. "Sure, that sounds like a perfect solution. I'll be out busting my ass to build my business, come in exhausted but still take care of our home: cooking, cleaning and meeting your physical needs. Your mistress will be a few feet away and you can have the best of both worlds: hang out with your kid and then get a piece of ass when your emotions get the best of you." She held up her fingers in quotation marks. "It will be one giant happy family!" Her voice got louder and more strained with each declaration. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"I realize there are flaws to my solution, but you need to understand, Bella and I are not going to be together like that... ever again. This is all about Ace."

"She named him Ace, that's such a stupid name."

Jacob felt irritation at Kaleigh, for taking a barb at his son. He deserved all she was giving him and more, but not the baby. If she was resentful or treated his son poorly, then this was over before it even started. He told her his son's full name and that Ace was his nickname for him. "I'm sorry. Maybe everyone's right and I am completely crazy. All I know is I need to be near my son. I intend to take care of his mother until she is able to take care of herself. I was careless, I got her pregnant. It's my responsibility. I'm not lying when I say how much I love you and want to still make this marriage work, but I realize it's a lot to ask and I understand if you can't do it. No one will blame you for leaving. I mean, ask me to leave. I shoulder all the blame."

She stopped talking and started staring out their large picture window. She picked up a stone vase. For a second he thought she was going to hurl it at him, but then she raised it to the window. That would be a fucking mess and so expensive if she smashed it. Jacob grabbed her wrist and took the vase out of her hand. He felt her body shake with sobs. He didn't expect her to allow him to hold her, but she did. Kaleigh cried unlike any other time, he'd ever seen her lose it. She was usually in control of her emotions.

She finally turned around to face him. "I think I understand."

"You do?" He wasn't expecting that so soon.

"Yes, you want me to be the one to leave. You don't like to fail. You don't give up, so you drop these bombs on me one by one and wait for the explosion. Of course, you knew I'd say no and then it would all be over with. You'll be able to say, you did all you could, but I ended the marriage."

"No, that's not it at all."

"Well, I'm calling your bluff. Fine, move them in."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure about a damn thing for the first time ever, but I know this. You said you picked me, not her and I don't roll over and give up on my dreams without a fight. If you mean our marriage is top priority, then prove it. Prove you still believe in us."

"I... I will. I do, I swear."

"Then where is she?"

Jacob told her a few more particulars and some of his tentative plans. Kaleigh said she really needed some time to herself to think and she might have a different answer for him tomorrow, but the sooner he was out of her face, the better.

Jacob was almost afraid to ask, but he really needed to check on them. "Um, I'm going to run over to tell Ace good night. I'll be back soon."

She rolled her eyes and bit her lips between her teeth, like she had to hold onto the words or she might explode again. "Fine, at least you're being honest instead of sneaking off, but don't you dare come to our bed tonight." Jacob knew better than that. Kaleigh had a gun collection she inherited from her grandfather. He was tempted to retrieve the key just in case. He knew it was going to be a rough night, but he didn't realize it was just the beginning.

* * *

Jacob was going to be brief, check on Bells, kiss the baby goodnight and hightail it back home, so Kaleigh would not be anymore suspicious than she already was. Bella didn't ask many questions. He told her he didn't think she'd need to stay at the hotel too many nights.

"I can't believe she's going for this."

"It's complicated."

"You don't have to tell me. I'm smack dab in the middle of it."

"I'll be back tomorrow."

Bella told him Charlie was coming in the afternoon. He already expected that.

Jacob was almost to his car when the scent hit him again. It had been a long time, but he still memorized each and everyone of them. Same fucking scent. Not a coincidence, but Bella's stalker from the airport. He pursued on foot until the demon fled to a nearby park. He phased to be formable opponent. He wasn't expecting a second one to join in, but that's what happened. The rage filled him. His imprint and child were at risk and it fueled his power and strength. They got in a few good blows, but Jacob made mincemeat of both of them eventually. He used a metal trash can to burn the parts. He just hoped a cop didn't show up and catch him naked and illegally burning trash at a park where children played in the light of day.

He managed to remain undetected all the way back to his car. Lucky for him, he carried spare clothes and towels in the trunk, since he phased again. He covered his seat with towels after slipping on some shorts. Jacob's keys and phone were behind his tire where he left them.

The phone was ringing loudly

"Jacob. They're following her."

"Why hello, Madame Tardy. Information, I could've used an hour ago. I already dealt with them. There were two. Is that what you saw?" Jacob never put much stock in Alice's visions, but he was reminded she might be an asset since he was stretched far too thin.

She said it was. She told Jacob she thought it was only for spying, but since this was the first time Bella had moved in years, she couldn't be certain. "I don't think he has her under constant surveillance, but perhaps after the baby, I can't be sure. I've been trying to see more frequently."

Jacob looked back at the hotel. How could he go home now? He was still spitting out mouthfuls of blood. He needed to clean up to hasten the healing. He really didn't want to walk back to her room and let her see him this way.

Alice was full of surprises. "We're almost there. Jazz and I."

"In Washington?"

"The hotel."

"Oh."

"You need us. We'll help." He hated to admit it, but damn, he did need the Cullens and he needed one other thing desperately. Jacob needed a pack.

* * *

He tried to sleep, but he was only tossing and turning. When he returned home, he saw Mack's car in the driveway. At least Kaleigh had some comfort and wasn't alone. He didn't know when or what she'd tell the rest of the family. They were all sure to push for a separation or a divorce. Jacob concluded they never liked him too much.

There was one person in his life that would never care what time of the day or night he called and he desperately needed some sound advice. His voice was gruff and full of sleep. "You okay?"

"Not really. I've made a mess of my life. I should've listened to you."

"Tell me something I don't know, son, but go ahead. Get it off your chest. How can I help? Remember this, we can't go backwards. The past is over and done with. You can't change it, but you can do what's best in the here and now."

"Vampires tonight, just outside Bella's room."

"Dammit."

Jacob filled his father in about Kaleigh, the vamps and Alice. "I need the guys."

"Call 'em back. They'll come."

"I hate disrupting all their lives again."

"You don't have a choice and it's in their blood. When the threat lingers, the gene is awakened. Order them, they won't even fight you. Jacob, it was always meant to be your pack."

Jacob thought he could start small. He and his father talked about who made the most sense or might be the easiest. "Seth's closest and he always had a soft spot for Bells."

"Then invite him over."

"Collin's angry after his breakup."

"That will be to your advantage."

"Quil always liked the wolf."

"And he's family, but don't forget your brother."

"I know, Emb's already offered dozens of times." His father just reminded him that some respected men had skeletons in their closet. Embry's parentage was old news, but he might have recently done some soul searching about things he said to his father years ago. He probably owed him an apology considering he rained down some harsh judgment for his indiscretion.

Billy stopped him after Jacob got quiet. "Son, we're past it. There's no need. What's your solution?"

"Son of a bitch. It's inevitable, isn't it?"

"Yep, I told you. You can't fight the imprint, Jake. He'll do whatever he has to do to protect her."

Jacob could admit it to his father. He barely uttered the words, but that didn't make them any less true, "So will I."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Did I mention before, this is angst filled drama? Fuel the muse, you know what I like.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**~A/N Call me crazy, I'm updating again. If there was confusion at the end of the last chapter, let me clear it up. All canon imprints are the same minus the hybrid that doesn't exist in this story.**_

 _ **This fic has Billy Black as Embry's father, making him Jacob's half-brother and Embry hasn't imprinted.**_

 _ **"You can't fight the imprint, Jake. He'll do whatever he has to do to protect her." Billy speaking to Jake from the wolf's prospective. Jacob then admitted, the man and wolf are basically in agreement.**_

Chapter 14: A Woman Scorned

Jacob grumbled, but he had to get up. His day was going to be jam-packed, he couldn't afford to sleep another second even though he hadn't been asleep more than 90 minutes if he was lucky. He shuffled down the stairs and walked down the driveway, barefoot, wearing only a loose pair of ratty, sleep pants he found in the apartment. A shiny, graphite Infiniti sedan remained, parked partially on the damn lawn, as usual. Mack stayed all night. He probably insisted.

Jacob stepped down the steps to reach the front door. Dammit, he forgot his keys back in the apartment. He could go to the side door, since it had a code. Surprisingly, the front door swung open. Mack was letting him in his own fucking house.

"Jesus, Black. You look like shit." Jacob grimaced. Mack continued. "As you should. It does my heart good to know you are this miserable." Kaleigh looked like she got a little more rest than he did. She was wearing an ice blue silk robe, her blonde hair wildly cascading over her shoulders and down her back. He always loved that color on her. That's why he gave it to her last birthday. That was such a great night for the two of them. Had she worn the robe to remind him? She poured him a coffee. Mack went to the stove and started up an omelet. Jake saw two dirty plates on the bar. They'd apparently eaten theirs already.

Kaleigh's voice was coarse, "How was your baby?"

"Um, he was good. They were tired from the trip."

"I didn't ask about your whore. I only asked about the baby."

Jacob bit his tongue. This was how it was going to be. If he jumped to defend Bella anytime Kaleigh said something derogatory, she would only become more enraged. He was literally skating on the thinnest ice imaginable. If he moved an inch, it was sure to crack, swallow him whole and he'd drown looking through the clear sheet of frozen ground while all his mistakes taunted him from above.

For some reason, he pictured a hooded figure with his arm around Bella, his other hand holding a little boy's hand. Jacob pulled his fingers through his messy hair before slamming his fists down on the bar, barely missing his coffee. Never. That would never happen. Kaleigh and Mack were both glancing at him with puzzled expressions. He wasn't going to freak out, he had to keep going no matter what.

"Earth to Captain Crisis. You want this or not?"

"Thanks, I'm starving." Mack went back to cleaning up the kitchen. Jacob remembered they never ate, since they were fighting soon after he got home. "I'm sorry about dinner last night, Kay. I know you went to a lot of trouble to make it."

"Yeah, that's two hours I'll never get back. I trashed it." He was almost afraid to ask. Had she changed her mind? She was not a firm yes before he departed the house and judging how snarky she already was, he was almost certain she was rescinding the offer. However, she brought it up, "So, when are you going to get them? Today? Tomorrow? Don't expect me to lift a finger to make that place more comfortable or do anything to help."

"I won't and I was thinking maybe tomorrow, if that's okay. I needed to discuss a few more things with you." Jacob glanced at Mack washing up at the sink. He really didn't need an audience.

"Mack's staying, so whatever you need to say, just say it."

Jacob stuttered around, but finally explained how Bella didn't have a car anymore and that he doubted Kaleigh wanted him giving her rides everywhere she needed to go. "Um, I made some calls and I was going to pick up a lease this morning. I just wanted you to be aware."

Mack actually snickered, "You don't know when to quit, do you?"

Kaleigh clanked the rest of the dishes, sounded like something broke to him. "Really, Jake? You're buying her a car too."

"Leasing," he corrected.

"So, let me get this straight. You're going to give her a place to live, provide her with all life's necessities and shell out money every month for a car as well. In case you don't remember, we actually have a budget and this doesn't constitute as miscellaneous."

"The lease is only a few hundred, we already keep the utilities going for the apartment. It won't be much more, I'm sure."

"Well, you were adamant that we not use my family's money. We are mortgaged out the ass for this place. Looks like you need to rouse up some new projects or get a raise if you intend to support a second family because none of my commission checks are going toward that home wrecking bitch."

Jacob already knew he was screwed, his wife was pointing out things he hadn't spent much time thinking about. He certainly didn't have enough free time to devote more hours to work for more money. He tried to downplay the expenses further. "Bella will find a job eventually. I'm sure. It's just, the baby's really little. You know this set up is only temporary." He wasn't putting a time table on Bella's stay, but he knew there was no way the situation could be permanent. He had to figure out the vamp problem first, that's why he needed them close.

"I'd advise she get on the job hunt sooner rather than later. What is her skill set by the way?" Jacob was about to answer that question, but she had one more dig. "I mean, other than what she does flat on her back with her legs spread for men that don't belong to her. Although, there's probably money to be made there as well."

"Kay... "

"Don't. I can't listen to any more of this crap. Why don't you get a shower? Clean out your things while you're in there. The guest room is your room for now. You have to earn your way back to our bed, remember."

Jacob headed to the master bedroom, he grabbed a change of clothes and took a long hot shower. He turned up the radio in there and let the music drown out all the voices inside his head. He got dressed, grabbed an armful of things and walked them to the guest room. He was pretty much expecting these reactions from Kaleigh, but it didn't make it any easier seeing that much hurt and pain behind the callous mask she was wearing.

He dumped his belongings on the bench at the foot of his new bed. His appointment at the dealership was only half an hour away. He needed to get the car to Bells, and then meet with Alice and Jasper. He also needed to tell Bella what was up with the spies, but he was putting that off until he got her back to his place. Jacob had several calls to make: Seth, his father again, most definitely Carlisle, possibly all the other guys. Leah would tell him to piss off. He was pretty sure, she was the only one that would not come back without a firm order.

He stopped at the door because he couldn't help hearing Kaleigh and Mack talking.

"You sure you know what you're doing, Kay?"

"I have no choice."

"Like hell you don't, throw him out."

"I still want to believe we have a chance. He said he wanted me, not her."

"I get that you don't want to make a rash decision about marriage, since you took your commitment seriously, but why let him bring them here under your nose? It's fucked up."

"I know, but the adage has never been more relevant. 'Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.'"

"Girl better watch her back. My cousin's on a mission."

"Damn straight. She has no idea who she crossed."

"Woohoo, there's that alpha female I know and love." Jacob couldn't help but shake his head at that ironic statement by Mack. Those two didn't know the first thing about what an alpha female truly was. Her cousin calmed down a bit, but he still heard him clearly, "Don't be pissed at me for saying this, but I met her and she doesn't seem that bad. I think she's just trying to do what's best for the kid. I really don't get the vibe she's a barracuda or anything remotely similar. She's probably not coming here to steal your man."

"You're damn right she's not. I won't let her."

* * *

Bella started watching the fourth cooking show of the morning. Atticus stretched and yawned after his catnap. There was nothing to do. For the life of her, she forgot why she actually agreed to this whole shenanigan.

Atticus made buzzing noises with his lips. Now she remembered. "Cuz you and Daddy need each other." Her son smiled and she bent down to kiss his cheek. A knock at the door could only mean one visitor had arrived. She scooped up the baby and peeked out.

"It's me, Bells."

She opened the door. Jacob came inside, took Atticus from her and hugged him tight. She could see him taking deep breaths against his cheek. "Hey buddy. I missed you so much. How'd you sleep last night?"

"He was up more than normal, new place, different bed." Bella took a long hard look at Jacob and asked, "How'd you sleep, Jake?" Jacob would be gorgeous under any circumstance, but she could see the bloodshot eyes, dark circles and worry lines across his forehead. He wasn't in the best shape.

"I didn't."

"I could kinda tell."

"Thanks. Look, I have to be someplace, I'm already late, but I got you something." He jingled a set of keys off his finger. "The guy followed me over. I thought he was bringing it this afternoon, but he had some time now. It's already down there in the lot."

"A car!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, so you can get around, but we need to talk about that a little more in detail when I get back."

"What kind? I mean, you certainly didn't need to do that, Jake. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't have."

He smiled. "It's blue, but way better than your last car." He winked. Jacob held Atticus high and made him giggle. "And it's got one of the best safety ratings this year, because that stuff's important, isn't Ace?" He kissed him a few more times.

"Okay. Thanks, so what is it?"

"Turns out, VW's still a sound choice. I'll be back... soon. Take it easy, buddy. Bye, Bells. Why don't you two take a nap or something?"

She was surprised he didn't make it red, but Bella assumed that would be way too nostalgic. They were trying to move forward, not get bogged down in the past.

* * *

Jacob left. She didn't want to take a nap. She wanted some fresh air. She was tired of staring at the same four walls. She knew Jacob wanted her to wait for him, but if she kept doing every last thing he said, he was going to let it go to his head. She moved to be near him for the baby's sake, but he wasn't going to control every aspect of her life.

Bella put her son in the portable crib with some toys and pulled it close to the bathroom. She left the door open and took a quick shower. She got ready, then got him ready. She double checked the diaper bag, made sure he was fed, changed and content. Bella made a list of nearby baby shops. She circled the top one because it was the closet. She punched the address into her phone, got Atticus strapped in and headed out, pushing the stroller. She wasn't sure where Jacob parked her new ride, but it was blue and it was Volkswagen, shouldn't be too hard to find. She pointed the key remote around until she heard a beep.

"There it is," she told her son. She liked it. It was a shiny blue, metallic Jetta. Jacob was always full of surprises. She needed a job, like yesterday. Bella was not going to sit around and watch cooking shows everyday. She had to make her own money. Jacob insisted on taking care of his son, but she intended to take care of herself.

* * *

The shop was a baby wonderland. She was never much of a shopper, but shopping for Atticus was pretty fun. He was growing out of most of his clothes, so she picked out several more appropriate outfits for Washington in a larger size. Jacob gave her a credit card and she did have some of her own money as well, but she was trying to be frugal. She picked things off the sales rack. An associate asked her if she needed help, so Bella asked about choosing a few things for delivery. The woman told her they could set all that up at the register. She found the crib and swing she liked. She was going to take the bouncy seat with her for the hotel. Barry would be sending Atticus's bedding because it was her favorite, she didn't want to change it, but she needed a couple more blankets, a new bathtub and another changing table. She might as well grab a new box of diapers since they were on sale combined with a large pack of baby wipes. She tried to hurry, but it was similar to starting from scratch. She had to take a break and take care of Atticus once, but he was sleeping soundly by the time they got to the register.

She knew Jacob wouldn't care how much she spent, but she'd already made up her mind as soon as she got a job, she'd pay him back half. They were both his parents, so they should be splitting everything 50/50. The only item that was a true splurge was the dark walnut crib. It was really pricey but it converted into a toddler bed, so it would last a long time and she really loved it. It was so much nicer than the second hand one she had in LA. Bella nervously chewed her lip while the lady rang her up. Maybe she'd gone a little nuts in this shop after all. She probably should put a few things back but what, he needed all of it.

They started the paperwork for the delivery items. Thank God for Google, she actually knew Jake's address. She was shocked they said they could deliver by six the same day. She wasn't sure if that was okay, but if she waited, Monday wasn't available and she didn't want to have to wait until Tuesday if she was actually moving in before then.

"Okay, that's fine. Bella gave them both hers and Jacob's numbers."

"That comes to 1897.28. How will you be paying?"

Goodness gracious. That crib really knocked the bill up. Bella handed the platinum card over. The lady swiped it on the register. It made a funny noise. She tried again, same thing. Bella kept staring at the screen to come up for her to sign, but the saleslady picked up the phone without a word.

"Is there a problem?"

The woman held her finger up, while she listened with the receiver tight against her ear.

Maybe Jacob had a daily limit set up. She knew there was no way he'd give her a card that didn't have enough money, but then again he probably never imagined she would practically run up two grand the first day.

The woman kept standing there shaking her head only saying a few, "uh huhs." Then another employee came over and they started whispering. The longer it took, the more she regretted going out at all.

"I'm sorry. Should I put something back? I could wait for the crib, I guess."

"Ma'am we're going to need to see some ID with a charge this large."

"Oh, yeah sure." Bella pulled out her license. She knew there was going to be a problem when they examined it.

"This is expired, Mrs. Cullen."

The woman looked at the old ID and the credit card. Bella never renewed her license. Edward gave her some fake stuff when she got into school, but she didn't want her name to come up in the system if Charlie was ever searching. It was so dumb of her not to get a proper license once the truth came out.

"We can't let you make this purchase."

"Okay, I'm sorry for the trouble." Maybe she should ask them to hold everything, go back to the hotel and wait for Jacob to come back with her. Bella held her hand out for the ID and credit card.

"No, you can't have these back. My manager called the police. They're on the way."

"The police! Why? I'm sorry. I know I need a new license, but did you honestly need to get the police involved?"

"Ma'am, this card was reported stolen two hours ago. We take credit card fraud very seriously."

"Stolen? Well, I assure you, I didn't steal it. My son's father gave it to me to buy what I needed."

"So, you're Mrs. Black?"

"Um, well... no."

"Then Mrs. Cullen?"

"No, actually, I'm Ms. Swan, but I don't think I have anything that says so." Way not to sound suspicious as hell. "I'm telling you the truth." Bella looked down at her sleeping son.

The woman seemed slightly sympathetic, but her manager acted like she was on the ten most wanted list. He sent a security guard to stand at the door in case she tried to flee.

"Miss, is there anyone you can call? I've seen what happens. They call a social worker in for the child, but if a responsible person shows up, you might be able to avoid that extreme."

Bella fumbled with her phone. It felt like she was dreaming, her finger kept hitting the wrong buttons. She hoped Jacob answered immediately, but she had no idea what he was doing.

Did she honestly resemble a criminal? Who shoplifts or steals with an infant? Why would they call the cops so quickly? It was a total nightmare. That remark about social services coming for Atticus scared the hell out of her. Jacob was going to flip if she let some stranger take him.

She saw an officer step inside, followed by two more. Her heart quickened. The impending turmoil woke her son. Atticus started fussing. Bella didn't hesitate to get him out. Perhaps that would dissuade them from wanting to cuff her immediately. She was still trying to pull her messages back up with her free hand when the door swung open again.

"Bells!"

She looked up. "Jake!"

Her eyes must be deceiving her. Alice, Jasper... when did they get to town?

The officer stopped Jacob. "And you are?"

"I'm her... um, I'm Jacob Black, the father. What the hell is going on?"

The manager butted in. "Mr Black. Do you have some ID?" Jacob pulled out his wallet and produced proof of his identity.

"Oh, well there's been been a misunderstanding then. You authorized the use of your card?"

"Yes, of course."

The police quickly retreated and left the store manager to sort it out. They talked about what happened and they managed to get the credit card company on the phone right away. Bella knew what the issue was even before she heard Jacob on the phone. His wife had reported the card stolen. Well, fucking great. She guessed she might deserve it, but the idea that Atticus was put at risk or in a stressful situation did not bode well with her. Bella had much more to say about that, but she focused her attention on Alice instead.

"Hanging out with Jacob now, are we?" Alice shrugged. "Somebody needs to start talking."

Bella heard them tell Jacob he would have to pay a different way because the card was already turned off. Alice dug in her bag, but Jacob said absolutely not. He pulled out a different card and told the woman to run it.

Alice overhead the amount. "Way to go Bella. I actually taught you something. Only the best for this little cutie pie."

Jacob didn't bat an eye, but she explained herself. "The crib. I needed the mattress too and it's a really good one."

"It's fine, Bells. Are you sure you got everything?"

"Yes."

* * *

They exited the store. She would probably never show her face in there again. That was humiliating to the worst degree. Jacob pushed the stroller, Alice and Jasper got the bags. They met outside by her new car.

Alice gushed over Atticus some more. "He is so adorable and puppy smells so much better than full grown, wet dog."

Jacob growled at her. "Stop smelling my son, bloodsucker."

Alice stuck her tongue out him.

Bella was curious what he smelled like to Alice. "He smells like sweet milk and lavender. It's refreshing. Can I be his godmother? Please, can I?"

Jacob shook his head as he lifted the carrier off the stroller. "That sounds so sacrilegious."

Bella had a compromise. "How about Auntie Alice?" Jacob continued to grumble.

"Of course, I like the the ring of that." Alice said she and Jasper would talk more with her later, but Jacob told her she needed to give Alice her room key. Apparently they had stayed directly above her last night. She knew there was a story behind all this. She didn't plan on moving so soon either. He said tomorrow and now it was immediate.

"I can get our things."

"No, they'll do it. We need to talk." Alice hugged her before they headed out, leaving her alone with Jacob and their son.

Jacob pointed to a corner cafe and asked when she ate last. "Last night, I ordered a sandwich from room service."

"It's almost noon, shouldn't you be eating better, since you're feeding Ace?"

She had lost her appetite, since reuniting with him again, but he was right. She wasn't doing herself or her son any favors skipping meals. It just made her feel run down.

They had a seat and ordered fairly quickly, so they could get down to business.

"What happened?"

"Bloodsuckers at the airport."

She closed her eyes and felt weighted down all of the sudden. The burden followed her. She should've known.

"Does Alice know if they followed me?"

"Yes, they were outside the hotel last night."

"Did they get away?"

"Hell no, not on my watch. I ripped them apart."

"Them?"

"There were two males."

Jacob told her the Cullens thought, they weren't important, just spies for Aro.

"Damn, I bet he's angry I didn't alert him about the move. I'll make contact tonight."

"No, absolutely not. You will not communicate with him anymore. His way ends right this second. He isn't in charge of your life."

"And who is, Jake? You?"

"Um, well... no, of course not. I assume you're in charge of your own life, Bells. I'm just not going to allow you to bow down to a bloodsucker and be his strange amusement with our son in the next room."

"Allow?"

"Dammit, Bells. Quit picking apart my words. I brought you both here to protect you."

"I can't believe you're willing to work with the Cullens."

"Desperate times, but we are going to do something about that and soon."

She couldn't help it, she asked another one word question, "We?" He told her about inviting Seth over. She sighed. "Jake, this is exactly why I didn't want to come back. Isn't Seth engaged?"

"Yeah."

"I won't ask him. He already lost part of his childhood. Let him be."

"You won't have to. I will, but chances are he'll volunteer before I do. That's how he is."

"I should go back east."

"So, you'll let them protect you, but when I try, I'm being a dominate prick?"

"Jacob, your wife just tried to have me arrested. You are unable to do it all. It's obvious, you're in way over your head. Is it truly safe for us to move in? Aren't you concerned about bringing more Volturi spies, possibly to your own front door?"

"Yes, of course I am, but I can protect all of you better in one central location. I've got Queen Pixie and her mate for now, hopefully some of the guys will phase sooner than later. I never wanted to merge the supernatural in Kaleigh's world, but I have no choice. It's found me again."

"Only because of me, because I answered that phone."

Atticus made some noise and patted the table in front of him. He was perched up at the table like a big boy on his father's lap. Jacob looked down at his son. He looked at her. No matter how crazy things got, she at least knew, neither of them would ever regret their child.

"Scratch that. I'm glad I came back to life, but still. What about this credit card snafu?"

"Kaleigh isn't dangerous or a psycho like Barry suggested. She's not herself right this second for good reason."

"Oh, so you eavesdropped. Why am I not surprised?"

"No, I hear without trying. You know that."

That meant he heard all that broken-heart stuff. She should've known better than to discuss him with Barry while he was over. How embarrassing.

"A social worker was going to come for Atticus if you hadn't shown up. Thank goodness for Alice, I guess she saw something."

"Yeah, she said there was a list and you were distressed. Strange, how I said to wait for me and you took off anyway. Some of my recommendations might actually be the right thing. You think."

"Well, Mr. Control Freak, if you would've told me the whole story last night, then I might have listened. Stop keeping secrets from me, Jake. Isn't that what you like to fault me for?"

"Sorry, I didn't want you to panic."

"I can understand that, I suppose. You think, if I panic, I'll run. I won't do that, I won't ever go without you knowing. You need to know where your son is, I accept that. You have my word. Listen, about that huge charge. My shopping got out of hand, I feel like a gold digger."

He laughed. "You're not a gold digger. I'd bought the whole damn store out if I'd been there. I don't ever want him to want for anything, Bells."

"Well, we shouldn't spoil him."

"Why not? My son will never worry if there's enough food to make lunch for the week or tape the bottom of his shoes to make them last a few months longer. I don't want him to ever know some of the burdens I suffered growing up. I'm not whining, Billy did what he could under the circumstances, but it wasn't always easy."

She hated he had so many hardships growing up. Bella was far too self-absorbed to notice some of that stuff when they first met. Jacob did such a good job of hiding it too. He always had that bright smile on his face and a sweet, sunny disposition. Her teenage heart ached for those two dumb kids sometimes. Their adult versions were a lot less carefree and easy going.

Bella told him Kaleigh had a every right to be furious with her. She was a grown woman and she could take it. If she wanted a face to face, she was fully prepared for that, but Atticus should not be caught in the crossfire. "I'll steer clear of your wife, but she better not test me when it comes to our son. I mean it Jake. You better make that clear. What happened today was not cool, at all."

Jacob said he'd have plenty to say about the credit card stunt. That was going too far. Bella could see the fury behind his eyes when she mentioned the social worker and her potential arrest. She didn't want to appear weak. She needed to toughen up, but this is what happened when she reverted back to her old ways. Why was it so easy for her to allow men like Edward and Jacob dictate to her?

"Thanks for getting there so quick. I honestly thought some cranky social worker was going to come out and take Atticus to a separate location while they grilled me. He likes people, but he would've gotten so scared when I wasn't around."

She quickly wiped at her eyes. Jacob grabbed her hand, they held hands in the middle of the table.

"I won't ever let you be scared like that again. I swear."

Jacob wanted to make her lots of promises lately. She assumed he was making all sorts of promises to his wife as well. He couldn't possibly be telling everyone the truth no matter how much he wanted it to all be true. The two of them sat and stared a few minutes longer. From the look in his eyes, Bella suspected the biggest lie of all was the one he kept telling himself.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Time frame check: Jacob only found out one week ago, he has a son with Bella. Obviously, everyone is still acting and reacting in a state of uncertainty and panic. Each story is a process, as is character growth and development. No one is perfect in this story, except maybe Barry. I already miss him. Don't forget Bella's roommates, I'm not finished with them.**_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Unsettled

The apartment was pretty cozy. Bella didn't mind it at all except for that front window view. She stared down the short driveway at the main house. Thirty feet was her best guess. That was the distance between Bella and Jacob and his real life, but she suspected there was far more than a few feet separating them. They'd gotten along fairly well for the past week, but she wasn't fooling herself, he still didn't trust her and she didn't much like this new Alpha, my way or the highway Jacob.

Jacob made sure, she had everything she needed including a stocked fridge, but he didn't stick around much the first evening. The delivery crew set up the crib and changing table for her, so there wasn't anything for him to do except play with Atticus for a bit. He told her he'd like to introduce Atticus to Kaleigh sometime today. They'd both be working early Monday. Her father took her to dinner, but he didn't stay long in Seattle. She could tell he was having difficulty keeping his opinions to himself. He kept asking if she was alright and then when she'd say she was, he'd shake his head and mumble something under his breath. Charlie said the door was always open for them to come stay with him. She knew Jake would say no again and she honestly didn't have the will to argue.

Of course, her computer dinged as soon as she booted it up the first time. Aro sent several messages. Bella figured she might as well smooth his ruffled feathers. Jake only saw a threat when she spoke of Aro, but Bella learned over the years it was all about the game to him and she had developed some skills. She felt like a worthy opponent even if that was an absolute false sense of security.

She typed, "Hello" first and that was it. She never divulged too much information.

He was engaging with her only minutes later, "Bella dear, you've moved and I've searched the mail high and low for a change of address card, but I can't seem to find it. You aren't trying to hide from me, are you? I simply detest hide 'n seek. I always lose my temper and act foolishly when I can locate something that's lost."

She waited, so he responded again.

"You wouldn't like to see me ill tempered around the wee one, would you?"

Oh, God. If Jacob ever saw this chat, he'd come unhinged, probably buy a plane ticket to Italy and end up getting himself tortured and killed.

"Relax, Aro. You knew I was job hunting and might undergo a change scenery soon. It was a rash decision. I didn't have time to send out notices."

He went on to say things about poor parenting, running out on her regular life and even asked if mothers should make rash decisions when their sole purpose was protecting their young ones. She swore he could add a threat against Atticus every few words, but always make it seem civil.

"We are perfectly safe and fine. I would've sent word. I know you like to stay in touch."

"Are you sure about safe, because a little birdie whispered in my ear you might be keeping company with the most wretched of creatures these days."

Crap.

"Nope, not sure what birds you have over there, but he's mistaken."

"Well, I could ask again, but it seems like my pets were viciously mauled by a wild animal. I haven't heard a peep in two days. You wouldn't be spending time around untamed beasts, would you, because that seems frightfully dangerous for the wee one."

It was obvious the spies reported what they'd seen. It could be from monitoring her comings and goings recently or from the airport. They saw Jacob, scented him, perhaps Atticus as well. She still continued to act blasé. Bella could always tell when Aro was getting bored.

He said he'd be in touch and reminded her he detested secrets.

"Of course, as do I. Have a pleasant day, Aro. Thanks for your concern. I'm doing what I promised... staying under the radar, keeping my circle of friends small and never ever divulging the secrets I know. Please keep your promises as well. You said I could live a normal life if I abide by the stipulations."

"Hmm, okay for now deary, but you know one in your new circle might cause a problem. I'll be in touch."

She knew he would check in again soon. _He knew._ He knew she was with a shape-shifter and that Atticus was his son. Bella worried, Aro would want to play an entirely new game now.

She saved the chat like normal, but hid it away in a password protected file. Bella and Jacob might have sworn no more secrets, but she knew he still held onto some. She didn't feel the least bit guilty for protecting him for now. He was far too stressed and she figured they had some time as far as Aro was concerned. She and Alice had discussed it at length the night before. She was closely monitoring his decisions and nothing was coming up that was alarming.

The apartment was tiny, only a bedroom, kitchen/dining/living room combo and a small room that was supposed to be an office, but would suffice as a nursery. She was used to the baby crib inches away from her bed, but now he had his crib in the other space. She still set up the pack n play close to her, but he slept in his new room which had a sliding door that was left open. It was almost like being in the same room. She definitely felt more comfortable than the hotel as long as she didn't dwell on Kaleigh so close. The day would eventually come that they crossed paths. She heard the garage doors beneath her open and close a few times the past 24 hours she'd been there, but Bella never looked out when that occurred.

She had already cooked a meal that she could eat off a few days and she was baking because she might get a visitor later. She had enough to send inside with Jacob when he came to visit Atticus, but that might not sit well with Kaleigh, so she better not even offer. Since Atticus was still napping, it gave her an opportunity to miss Monica and Barry. Bella decided to call.

"Hey guys."

They were on speaker. "Hi B. We miss you. We miss Ace. Are you ready to come home?"

She laughed, but they were serious. They said they'd put their money together to buy them tickets. Bella kept quiet that she already had two open ended tickets on standby. That was one of the reasons her bank account was low and one of the many reasons, she really needed a job. The plane tickets made her feel safer for some reason, like she still had some control left in this out of control situation. She might be waiting tables again, if she couldn't find something in her field, but she'd actually found one position with at the Native American health bureau that she might be a fit for. She was definitely looking into it further.

Monica and Barry asked all the questions she expected. They were not at all happy to hear about her shopping excursion. "What did I tell you?" Barry asked. "She's a psycho."

"I doubt it. She was angry and Jacob swears she's not."

"Oh come on, he's a world-class prince of denial. I feel it in my bones, girl. You are not safe around this woman. Do you remember all the self-defense techniques I taught you?"

"I'm not fighting Jacob's wife, Bar. Jesus, get a grip. She and I will likely avoid each other until I can get my own place."

Bella asked if they noticed anything weird since she left and they said no, but Monica interrupted, she had a date.

"Good luck, babe."

"Thanks, but he's probably a dud like all the other recent ones. I'll text you later unless I get lucky, then I'll call tomorrow to brag. Bye B. Love ya."

"Love you too. Be safe."

"Okay, it's just me and you, girl. Spill, you're miserable, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. Atticus keeps me busy, I don't dwell on misery." He asked if something else was up. She barely commented. "You know, just that pesky problem I have."

"That creeper that your ex got you mixed up with again?"

"Yeah, but it's fine. How's business?"

"Meh, okay, same ole clients. I'm kinda bored. Can I be honest?"

"Are you ever anything but?"

"Bella, I've sent some conflicting messages about Jacob, because let's face it, you two are a walking talking contradiction, but maybe you should fight for him after all."

"No, he's married. That's what he wants."

"Is it?"

"He says so."

"He's full of shit. He is so in love you, it's ridiculous. He might think he loves his wife, but there's no way he loves her like he does you and before you say it, it's not only about the kid. He lives and breathes for you. I saw it last week and it scared me. I wanted you to distance yourself from it to protect you, but I think it would only take one word from you to end this purgatory the two of you have established for yourselves."

"Barry, I can't be with Jacob. Like you said before, it's too late."

"Since when do you pay such close attention to me. Pshaw, it's never too late. Okay, enough chit chat, let's get down to business. What's the competition look like? Don't lie, I know you've researched her."

Barry knew her almost too well. "Like Barbie's better looking, smarter sister."

"Ha, I doubt that. Tell me where I can find her."

Bella told him how to pull up the Realtor page. KDBrealty .com "It's so precious, I gagged. Kaleigh Dawn Langston-Black. Of course, she hyphenated."

"Classy bitch."

"She's gorgeous."

"You're prettier."

"Have you even pulled up the page?"

"No, it's loading the pics now. Damn, Mr. Jaffri's slow wi-fi." They borrowed the neighbor's Internet. Monica figured it out easily. The password was the man's Persian cat's name.

"Just wait, you'll see."

"I still say you're the prettiest woman in the world and if I didn't love hot men so much, I'd make you mine. We are practically non-sexual soulmates."

"Yes, indeed we are."

"Oh shit."

"You saw."

"Yep."

"Told ya."

"Now, wait a minute, she isn't all that without the perfect clothes, piercing blue eyes, luscious lips, high cheek bones and my gosh, that hair. I can practically feel the silkiness through the screen."

"Are you done? My gosh, you're not even hetero and you're aroused."

"Maybe, but only because of the hair. I promise you're still better. No lie, I swear it, she's just different."

"I never imagined Jacob with a woman like that."

"Because you only saw yourself?"

"No, I pictured an exotic, Quileute woman with long raven hair, dark green eyes and a perfect complexion. She would be his _one_."

"Nonsense, where'd you get that idea from, just because he's Native American? You're his one and you know it."

Bella shut her computer. Barry didn't know the whole story. She heard Atticus crying, so she had to go. He told her not to roll over and play dead. They made plans to talk again the next day. Bella grabbed her cookies out of the oven and then spent some time taking care of her son.

* * *

Right after dinner, there was a knock at the door. She opened it up. She couldn't hide her happiness. He was a man now, not the boy she remembered. "Seth."

Seth came in, lifted her high and kissed her cheek. "I'm so happy you're alive."

"I'm so happy to see you again. Come in, have a seat. I baked cookies for you." Seth zeroed in on the blanket on the floor.

"There he is. May I?"

"Yes, of course, you're an honorary uncle now."

Seth doted over Atticus. He couldn't get over how much he resembled Jacob. He said the three of them had been the topic of many conversations as soon as Jacob told Billy, who told Rachel, who spilled to her husband. Once Paul knew, all of La Push knew. The old friends had tons of catching up. He told her all about his job and his fiance. She sounded great. Bella was so happy for him. They talked about their parents. Bella had no idea something was going on between Sue and her father.

"He never uttered a word."

"Yeah, trust me, I caught them in a compromising position."

"Oh no, like naked?"

"No, but I swear they were role playing cops and robbers or something. It was creepy as hell. I couldn't have sex for a week."

She and Seth laughed like crazy together. They had no problem picking their friendship back up from where they left off. It felt good to laugh again.

"That makes me happy for him. Why's he so secretive?"

"Who knows. Mom's the same way. Maybe in another decade, they'll actually allow themselves to be seen in public on a date."

Bella asked about Leah. She was in Oregon. Seth said she was good, but tried not to come home too often. She was dating, but nothing serious.

He admitted Jacob was calling a meeting soon with all the guys.

"No, I told him not to."

"It's done. We all know enough now. I'm already feeling it, just being around you."

"Then leave, Seth. That's why Jake tricked you into coming over here. If you are happy the way you are, then don't do this just for me. I swear, I know how to take care of myself after all these years." She put her hand to his forehead and it felt normal. That was a relief.

He grabbed her hand. "You can't stop it. We were born for this. I want to help. I don't want anything to take you away from us ever again and it's my duty to protect the Alpha's pup."

Seth was too good to be true and he and Collin were the only ones that actually lived in the Seattle vicinity. Collin never really knew her. He was loyal to Sam, not her. Seth explained Collin was very bitter. He broke up with his partner of almost three years. He probably would easily phase. It was a big mess.

"Cheating?"

"No, worse perhaps... it was over money. Collin put his heart and soul in this alternate healing clinic. His grandmother was known to be a healer, so it's in his blood. He hired a licensed chiropractor. They hit it off immediately, so Collin soon made him a partner in life and business, but the asshole was skimming money wherever he could. It had been going for years. Who knows how much he actually embezzled. The police got involved, there's a looming civil case. Collin might have to close the clinic."

Bella didn't know him well, but she felt really bad for him and wondered if there might be a way to help.

* * *

Jacob let himself in about an hour into the visit. He said Kaleigh was ready to meet Atticus if it was a good time. Seth said he was leaving anyway. Bella gave him a small bag of cookies and began to pack up a few things in a diaper bag in case their son needed anything like a change or his binky. Seth and Jacob stepped outside and talked a few minutes after he said goodbye

Jacob came back in. "Ready buddy?"

Atticus grinned at his father. He might be ready, but was she? Jacob was going to introduce him to another woman. The reality was, things felt extremely wrong . Why was she so jealous all of the sudden? She stopped him at the door. "Just a little while. I don't want him to tire out and get cranky."

"Sure, sure, Bells. It'll be fine. I'm only a few feet away." She stepped back and allowed him to close the door. It felt like he was stealing a piece of her heart that he intended to loan to someone else, someone she was pretty sure she didn't even like.

Bella knew if she lived close to Jake, then his wife would meet Atticus, but now that it was happening, she regretted ever coming here at all.

Damn him, she wasn't ready to share her son. Bella grabbed the baby's blanket and wrapped herself in it as she fell back on the sofa. She inhaled her son's sweet scent. When she turned her head to sob into the couch cushions, she noticed another smell. The sofa smelled like Jacob. Double damn him, because no matter how much she denied it, Bella didn't want to share him either.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Thoughts, comments, questions? Next chapter is a meeting between two ladies. Any guesses?**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**~Planned on taking a posting break, but my banner is ready, so I felt like celebrating. Big thanks to Urban Rose for creating a special visual to go along with the story. You can always check out my fanfiction album on photobucket. Link is on my profile.**_

Chapter 16: Order of Importance

Bella was busy scanning job prospects on her laptop, while Atticus played in the bouncer. She heard Jacob leave a half an hour earlier. He texted from his car, told her to let him know if anything was up, but that "you know who" would be around. As much as Alice wanted to come inside and actually visit with her, they'd all decided minimal contact with the baby was for the best.

Three loud raps sounded against the doorframe. She held still and listened. Did Alice need her for something? Who else would come to the door?

Bella froze. She was considering picking up her phone, but who would she contact first: Alice or Jacob?

"Open up, I don't have all day."

It was a woman. She'd never heard her voice, but Bella hadn't heard that second garage door come open yet, so it must be her greatest fear and at the moment, that had absolutely nothing to do with Aro. There was a large three car garage underneath them. She never looked, but there was a door that led down there next to the kitchenette. Jacob told her the best place to keep her car was at the beginning of the driveway on the left side, so he and Kaleigh could go in and out of the garage. The driveway was long and on an incline, but she had only been outside once to actually move in and that was it. She figured he wanted her to stay out of the garage to minimize possible confrontations.

The sound grew louder. Oh, hell no. That wasn't even knocking anymore. She was pounding. Did she even consider Atticus might be napping? He wasn't, but what an impatient harpy.

Bella stopped stalling and walked to the door. She slowly opened it. Perhaps, a crack would be sufficient, but Jacob's wife shoved the door hard and stepped in like she owned the place. Shit... she pretty much did.

Bella moved back a few steps, "Um, may I help you?"

She felt Kaleigh size her up. She glared at Bella, her eyes made a pass from the top of her head down to her sock covered feet and back up again. She was dressed in a professional looking, gray pants suit. Bella felt slouchy and inferior. She hadn't even changed out of her sleep attire.

"You need to move the Jetta."

"What?"

She slowed her words. "You. Need. To. Move. The. Jetta."

"Well, Jake said... "

Kaleigh held up her hand stopping her. Bella doubted she wanted to hear about conversations between Jacob and her. "I have workers coming. Just pull in the extra door while they're here."

"Oh, sure. Okay."

There were several minutes of awkward silence, so Bella asked if there was anything else. "Yes, I told you to move the car, do it. They're coming over any minute."

Bella looked at Atticus, at Kaleigh and then back to the door. She must have sensed Bella's discomfort. "Jesus Christ, it won't take two minutes. I'll watch him. He already knows his KayKay."

"What?" More like who the fuck is KayKay?

Kaleigh walked over to the couch and sat down close to the bouncy seat. "Good morning, Atticus. You look quite jovial. Are you a morning person, like KayKay?"

Bella couldn't help it, she said, "KayKay," under her breath.

"He has to call me something. I'm his step-mother and I'm part of his life now."

She swallowed. For a second, Bella swore she was about to swallow her own tongue. She gagged slightly. Kaleigh was still looking at her like she was bothersome little gnat. Bella felt about as insignificant as a bug to boot. She wasn't use to women like Kaleigh. She'd done a pretty good job of avoiding them up until this point. She did not want to leave Atticus with this wired, perfectly groomed, potential psycho woman. Barry was right. Jake's wife was out for blood, so there wasn't much difference than Bella's normal enemies.

"You call him Atticus?"

"Yes, that's his name, isn't it? That happens to be one of my favorite books."

"Oh, yeah, mine too." Maybe Bella and Kaleigh had more things in common than she would've thought. Maybe they would find a way to coexist without too much tension.

Kaleigh raised her eyebrows at her and said, "Well..." all impatient and unfriendly like.

Bella expunged her previous thoughts and said _naw, I hate this bitch as much as she hates me_ in her mind. She spoke soft and hesitant instead. "I'll be right back. If he cries, his binky is on the bar."

Kaleigh rolled her eyes at Bella. She grabbed the keys and ran. She got to the car quickly, but she had to get out to punch the code. Jacob told her the garage and house code for emergencies. She was basically counting the seconds in her head that Jacob's wife was watching her son. It had only been forty-five seconds, but a problem existed in the garage she wasn't aware of. Jacob's tools were in the way since they normally didn't have a third car. She had to drag heavy boxes out of the way, then roll a giant metal tool chest on wheels off to the side before the car would fit. Bella strained and tugged. She was determined not to stall another second and she definitely would never ask for help.

Finally, the way was clear and she pulled the car in. She went back through the outside because she believed the other door was still locked. Bella walked in and found Kaleigh actually holding Atticus. She wanted to scream and overreact, but instead asked if everything was alright.

"Yes, we're good."

"Oh well, there were tools. Sorry it took so long." Bella walked to the sink and washed her hands. She was anxious to snatch her son out of the other woman's arm. That was ironic, wasn't she the other woman? Bella actually shook the thought out of her head. No, she was not even that, because she and Jacob weren't having an affair.

Bella reached for her son. Kaleigh slightly pulled back and said they were fine. "He's not used to strangers."

"Jake says he's super friendly and I'm not a stranger any longer. Am I?"

"Well, no, but can I please have my son back?"

Kaleigh stood up and handed him over. "Wow, you are one needy bitch. No wonder my husband thinks he has to do everything for you."

Bella was stunned by what she said, but she stood there taking it, completely speechless. Kaleigh also said to park in the garage from now on. "I have a work crew coming everyday this week. My assistant will be over supervising when I'm not. They'll be in the house, just stay out of the way."

"Okay, I plan to. Jacob didn't mention you were having work done. This is a very nice place. It seems brand new."

She should've kept her mouth shut and not engaged this woman that hated her guts, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Yes, it is pretty new, but now we have to make accommodations for a young child. I'm having a room redecorated as a nursery. Jacob will want to have his son stay over many nights, I'm sure."

"Well, not while he's still breastfeeding. There's no rush."

"Are you trying to tell me how to conduct my home?"

"No, but I'm telling you Atticus will not be staying over without me anywhere for a long time."

"We'll just see about that. If Jake wants him all night, that's his right. We'll see what our lawyer has to say."

Bella warned Jacob. Kaleigh better not cross her when it came to Atticus. Bella took him to the swing, turned on the mobile and the music while he swang. She walked towards Kaleigh hoping she'd get the hint to back up towards the door.

"Jacob and I already decided no lawyers, so you can drop that shit right now."

"Oh yeah, well, like I said, we'll see about that. You're being unreasonable. Let's cut the crap and get it all out in the open."

"Fine. Just say it. I'm a bitch, a slut, a whore, a dirty tramp and you hate me being here. There, I said it already, so you don't have to."

Kaleigh smirked at Bella calling herself names, but she pointed out the door after opening it up. "You see that. That's my house... with my husband. He built this place for me, not you. You are never welcome across the threshold. Jacob's son will and should be there often, that's why you're here and the only reason. This apartment will not be where the three of you play house together either. My husband will only come through to collect his son, so don't pretend you have issues or problems that need his attention. Get Atticus ready and have him at the door whenever Jacob wants to see him. All of this is ours and don't you forget it. Notice I called the car the Jetta, not yours. That's ours too. You are on borrowed time. I suggest you find a job soon and start taking care of yourself."

"I plan on it."

"Good, then we have an understanding. Also, I'm having a family party here, Friday night. It's my mother's fiftieth birthday. I am not upsetting her with this news just yet, her birthday is a huge milestone. You have no idea what my family has been through. You need to stay hidden. Go in your room and turn off the lights just to be safe."

Kaleigh started to walk out, but Bella had just about enough, she grabbed the back of her arm. "Don't touch me." She jerked her arm back.

"I know why you hate me. I'm sorry. There's no excuse for what we did, but don't ever put my son at risk again."

"I didn't. I wouldn't. He's an innocent baby. You saw how good I was with him."

"You tried to get me arrested while I was out alone with my son."

"Oh that. Jacob already freaked out about that. I don't need another lecture. It was a misunderstanding. I went through his wallet. Correction, he'd just admitted he cheated and had a kid with another woman, I went through everything. I had every right to be suspicious. The card was missing, he'd been traveling. I assumed it was lost or stolen. I later agreed, I should've discussed it with him first."

"Liar." Bella knew Jacob would spot that lie a mile away. The two of them hadn't discussed it since.

Kaleigh didn't even argue or deny. In fact, she smiled at her. "Take's one to know one, Bella." She pulled the door, but had one more thing to say before slamming it in her face. "Oh yeah, you forgot dumb cunt. That's my favorite."

Atticus started wailing loudly after the door crashed against the frame. Bella lifted him up. She wanted to do the same thing, but crying wouldn't solve much. Did he really bond with that horrible shrew the night before? She couldn't ever malign Kaleigh in front of him. It wouldn't be right, but she so wanted to vent to someone. Bella texted Barry and Monica about the morning from hell, but they were both getting ready for work. They both said to call after five.

Bella decided to carry Atticus to her bed to let him lie down and nurse. Suddenly, all her energy was gone for the day. She decided to nap with him. What else was there to do? Ugh, that woman. Who the hell did she think she was, besides Jacob's wife and all? She had to rub it in about the main house and how Bella was nothing more than a squatter. Kaleigh might as well remind her that she shares a bed with Jake there and he makes love to her any time of the day or night. That's what probably went on, they were still newlyweds. She never thought about how much that was going to bother her until now.

Atticus held her hand as he drifted off to sleep. At least, he'd always love her. She promised him she'd never ever screw that up like she'd messed up all her other relationships. Bella was thankful, her crazy thoughts and depressed feelings finally stalled. She closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep just like her son beside her.

* * *

Barry and Monica facetimed with her while they stuffed their faces with burgers from their favorite spot. Bella could almost smell the fries over the phone. Barry made a face when he first saw her.

"Did you shower?"

"Yes, of course," then she mumbled, "yesterday."

He asked if she really intended to look like that when Jacob stopped by. "Doesn't he see the kid everyday?"

He had so far, and she hadn't even thought about what she looked or smelled like. Barry said she could have a one day pity party because they both listened to her Kaleigh confrontation, but he told her that was it. From now on, she needed to get a shower and put some effort in her appearance. He was still convinced she was there to fight for Jacob, no matter what she said to the contrary. Monica wasn't very talkative. She had another bummer date and said she was ready to cave into her mother's wishes and go to Portland. Barry moaned about both his ladies abandoning him so close together. If Bella had many more days like this, she was bound to head back soon.

She told them their greasy cuisine made her hungry, so she got off to dig for something to eat. Bella ended up making oatmeal with nuts and fruit. Atticus was content on his quilt looking at a bright activity gym over his head.

She sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. She'd already found some trashy reality show that she'd been binge watching. Jacob let himself in. He really should stop that, but she didn't say anything. Of course, he went for his son straight away.

Jacob grabbed a pillow and made himself comfortable next to Atticus. He propped up on his elbow, but turned once to frown at the TV show going on in the background. Bella hit the off button on the remote, then wiped her mouth because she felt mushy bits of oatmeal stuck to her chin. She saw more of it on her t-shirt, the one she put on almost 24 hours ago. Bella hadn't even brushed her hair all day. She was pretty sure she swiped a stick of deodorant under her arms out of habit and she'd brushed her teeth at least twice, but she knew she looked a mess without a doubt.

"Um, are you sick or something?"

"Maybe."

"Do I have to guess? What's wrong?"

"Maybe I'm just sick of you and your lousy apartment. We're suffocating in here."

"I never said you couldn't leave. Just tell Alice to follow you and let me know if you do go somewhere. I'm sorry, this is small. I always liked it." That was the issue. The place completely felt like Jacob, down to the very bachelor-like posters, to the way the furniture smelled. All the programs on the DVR were ballgames. She felt liked she was wrapped in a box made of Jacob after living there a couple of days. The downstairs was more posters and tools. She could tell the entire place was his domain. Bella doubted he had one say so on decor of the house. That stone house she frequently stared at was beautiful, but not one thing about it reminded her of him. The garage apartment was all him, but Jacob wasn't truly there and that's what was making her sick.

Bella stood up to walk her bowl to the sink. He got up and followed her.

"Oh and thanks for telling me your wife plans to move my son in the house with you as soon as she creates a perfect nursery and baby proofs."

"Bells."

"Don't Bells me. She was here this morning. That's what she said in a round about way."

Jacob rolled his eyes.

He apologized and said he only found out about all that an hour before he got off work. He said Kaleigh likes to keep busy with projects, this was just her way of dealing with all the stress.

"So she rules the roost over there and you basically tell me when, where and how I should take every step or if I'm even allowed?"

"No, not at all." She disagreed because that's exactly how it had been since he met their son. "Um, well, was it too bad? I mean, you two face to face and all. I really wish she would've waited for me."

"Let's see, was it that bad? She looked like she was on the way to a photo shoot. I looked like this because I had no idea she would barge in whenever she felt like it." Bella passed her hands up and and down her body. "She barked at me to chop chop and move the car which she reminded me is not mine, just like this apartment is not mine and everything in this general vicinity is not mine." It was unsaid, Jacob was at the top of that list. "She gushed over Atticus like they are best buddies and she says if I don't let him do overnights, that you're hiring a lawyer." Jacob started to speak, but she interrupted for one more thing, "Oh yeah, and she called me a dumb cunt. That's how it went."

He tried to explain Kaleigh's frame of mind, but that only made her more angry. Yes, they did a despicable thing, but did Bella have to sit and take abuse as long as she stayed there? If so, she wasn't going to stay much longer. She was adamant that he find her another place, preferably far across town.

"Can we please give it a little bit longer? I'll talk to her and you know I would never threaten you with a lawyer. We agreed. I already told her he's too small, the overnight thing was her idea."

"Just forget it. The less you talk about me to her, the better and vice versa."

Jacob looked back at Atticus and then back at Bella. "She wanted me to come get him and bring him over for an hour or so, but I'm going to say he was cranky and you were putting him to sleep soon. I can tell it's not a good time."

It really wasn't. If Jacob walked out the door with their child right about then, she'd surely lose it. He looked fairly sympathetic and she was trying to remember why she was so mad at him in the first place.

"You should go then. She doesn't want you over here much. I'm basically supposed to toss Atticus down the steps when you call for him."

"Well, that'll never happen and sometimes, me being in here is unavoidable. Bells, I'm truly sorry you had a rough day and that she overstepped."

"I came here without too much thought. You're getting what you wanted... your son. Kaleigh gets to dictate every single rule about how I'm to live because she was the wronged one, but what do I get? I swear I'm the least important part of this whole equation and I might sound selfish, but it sucks. Did you ever consider my feelings and how this whole situation might make me uncomfortable? I miss my friends. I feel useless except for taking care of Atticus."

Bella turned away because she swore she was about to start bawling and that would just be the icing on the cake to her shitty day. He walked up behind her. He was actually so close, she could feel his body heat behind her. Jacob touched her shoulders. She wanted to shrug him off and tell him not to touch her, but damn if she didn't miss some sort of adult interactions. Truth was, she really missed Jacob's touch. He rubbed her shoulders once or twice and then rubbed his hands all the way down her arms. Jacob took her arms and crossed them in front of her body with his over them.

He leaned in close to her ear. "You're absolutely right. I've asked the impossible and I was so worried how Kaleigh would react, I never took all your feelings into consideration. If you honestly have to go somewhere else, I'll figure it out, but I really don't want you to, not yet. Can we please wait and see if the guys will phase again, so I can keep you both protected?"

Jacob stood up, but he didn't break his connection. Bella hadn't even divulged that last chat with Aro to him. His fears weren't unfounded. She knew in her heart, being close to him was for the best. "I'll stay." She waited a few seconds, before adding, "For now."

She felt his warm breath on the back of her head and then it was down on that spot where she had a scar. Bella didn't understand that place at all, but him anywhere near it sent a hum all the way through her body. The energy traveled all directions, through her limbs, up and down her middle, and all the way to her... well, never mind. She shouldn't allow her mind to go there.

Jacob murmured into her skin. "You were wrong about one thing though." Bella couldn't help melting him. She pulled one arm free and moved it behind her, just so she could pull him even closer. "You are most definitely not the least of anything in my eyes. You are so important to me, Bells." He actually kissed her permanent love bite and a jolt of thrilling sensations raced through her. He slowly pulled back, "Don't ever forget that."

She was just about ready to take Barry's advice and say the word, the one he claimed would make Jacob hers again, but Atticus became disenchanted with his activity gym and started screaming. That was the only reminder she needed to get a hold of herself and pull away from him. She couldn't risk another complication. They couldn't go down that road, too much was at stake and too many people might end up hurt. Bella wasn't even thinking about Kaleigh either, she was more worried about herself.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**~A/N I'm a little crazy and I really didn't want to post since ff stats aren't working, but I guess I can make an exception. I might end up with 5 views instead of 4. LOL! Many of you are mad at Jacob, so I thought what better way to smooth that over than to take his controlling behavior up a notch. You've been warned.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer:Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 17: A Deep Hole

Jacob needed to run out back and phase so he could properly freak the fuck out, but he'd already been gone way longer than he should be. _Bella._ She looked like she'd been in bed all day. Her hair was a stringy, tangled mess and possibly had an oatmeal clump on the strand by her cheek. Her clothes were dirty too. He saw food at the neckline of her old shirt and he couldn't point it out, but she also had a big, round milk stain on her left boob. He should've never been looking, but he looked pretty often. All those imperfections and he still found her intoxicating. He promised himself in California to stay away from that damn mark, but he was sure on it tonight. She lured him to her without even knowing what she was doing.

He hated how he was making her feel. In the beginning, he was so worried how Kaleigh would take the news and how she was going to deal with everything. Truth was, after that first day, she pretty much stayed on his nerves. He was glad Kaleigh was a sound sleeper. He'd wait for her to go to sleep at night, then he'd jump out a window, he long ago bypassed from the security system. That was usually the only time he had much of a chance to phase and do his own patrols. He'd spend a long time watching the thin line of glass in the room where Bella slept each night. Occasionally, there was a dim light on. He didn't know if she was up with Ace or just awake reading. He didn't want to sleep in the guest room bed. He didn't want back in his California king either. He wanted to sleep under the garage. If he could get away with it, he'd sleep at the foot of Bella's bed.

Jacob was coming to a fast realization. He loved Kaleigh, he didn't believe he was fooling himself saying that, but perhaps he loved what she represented more than anything else. He never felt right after leaving La Push to go to school. Jacob had good grades, but halfway through junior year, he was about ready to give up and go back home. He never truly was a city lover. He didn't care if he had to work at a garage, working on cars was familiar and there was no shame in fixing things. Then he met Kaleigh. She was so different than any other girl he'd met in college. She motivated him, she inspired him and she made him a new man. That's what he'd been searching for all along, true humanity.

Bella really didn't want to be at his place and if she left, how would he not follow her? He was right back to where he'd been in the beginning when he first phased at 16. His wolf was practically chanting, _Bella, Bella, Bella_ all the time. Maybe, it was time to rethink a few of his decisions. He was still lying to Kaleigh, lying to Bella and himself.

He walked back inside and watched his wife's face fall. He honestly could tell she adored his son from the start. "Where's Atticus?"

"Um, he's going to stay with his mom tonight. He was in a bad mood."

"Wow, that selfish bitch. She's trying to play games with your child because of what I said to her this morning." Kaleigh made a move towards the door, but he stopped her. "Let go of me Jacob, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind. I'm not letting her stay here, so she can manipulate you and use that innocent baby on top of that."

"I said no! You need to back off. You shouldn't have ever gone up there. I'm happy you like spending time with Ace, but there are going to be times, he just needs his mother. Stop starting shit. I'm not getting a lawyer and I have no idea why you're turning our house inside out right now. We don't need a nursery."

She pushed away because he'd been holding her arms at her side to make sure she understood him. Kaleigh walked over to the sofa and plopped down. She had the certain look when she was pouting. "You're such a jerk, you know that."

He'd been told that quite a bit lately, but he wasn't certain what jerk move she was referring to since there were so many to chose from. He wasn't going to back down though, he needed to get a few things off his chest. "Kaleigh, I'm done apologizing. That isn't going to help if I spend all my days saying sorry to you and Bella. I... "

"What? Are you serious? You actually think you've apologized enough to me? You're just getting started and Bella, why would you owe that cunning witch an apology? She got what she wanted from you, obviously and in the process, stole what was precious to me."

"Kay, Bella didn't steal from you."

"Really, because I'm pretty fucking positive she had your firstborn unless you have other children out there. How is that not blatant thievery? I should have had your first child. I'm your wife and nothing will change what I've been robbed of now. We're supposed to go to Hawaii in a couple of weeks. I wanted to try for a baby. I thought we were in agreement."

He stopped her there because they never were in full agreement. She was already super pissed, but he had no other choice than to cancel their vacation. He told her he couldn't go to Hawaii. She didn't even scream and yell, it was almost like she was expecting it. He really didn't want to talk about this idea she had about trying for a baby either. They weren't even sleeping in the same room, so that wasn't going to happen any time soon, but he needed her to know how he felt about that. He wasn't ready even before he knew about Ace.

"I have my hands full right now learning how to be a father. This situation is a total mess. I get that, so I'm sure you can agree, it wouldn't be fair to bring another child into our lives."

Kaleigh put her head in her hands and started to cry. He sat down next to her to offer some comfort, but he wasn't done telling her everything. He was starting to realize their arrangement wasn't working. It was taking a toll on everyone rather quickly. He needed to make the break, but he wasn't sure how to start.

"I hate this. I hate what I've done to you, but I think that it's for the best if... "

She stopped him right there. Kaleigh looked up, he looked into her teary eyes. "Mom's cancer's back."

Selene Langston was never Jacob's favorite person. He knew the feeling was mutual as well, but he also knew without a doubt, Kaleigh and her mother were extremely close. He didn't know her when she was sick, but during Kaleigh's senior year of high school, she was stricken with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She almost didn't make it, but then Kaleigh said they got their miracle. Her mother finally starting responding to a treatment and went into remission. She'd been cancer free for over six years.

He froze. She sniffled a few times before she started talking again. "Daddy told me. No one else knows, not even Mom knows that I know. She's waiting on more tests before they tell all of us. I found out the night before you left for California and then when you came back, all hell broke loose. I really needed you to be my rock, but we feel like a world apart now. Oh Jake, what am I going to do? I can't lose my mother."

He pulled her into his side and held her close. Things just kept getting worse and worse. Kaleigh helped him through some tough times, probably more than she realized. He couldn't run out on her right now. She was going through too much. She cried silently into his shoulder. He told her everything was going to be alright even though he didn't know that for certain.

She finally composed herself and started talking again. "You know Mom always said I was her only hope for grandchildren. Devon is too much of a playboy and Celeste is probably too vain to have children. She joked she might adopt teen daughters one day, just to have shopping buddies. I'm the only nurturer of the bunch. It's really tragic to imagine my parents never sharing all that love in their hearts with their grandchildren."

"Kay... "

"I know what you mean about our lives being upside down right now, but I was just thinking maybe if things are different in a few months, what if?" He knew what she was about to ask, but he remained quiet. "I mean, I bet that the possibility of a grandchild would give Mom a fighting spirit and the will to live. I'm sure it would work wonders for her beating this the second go around."

"Do they know what type? Is it the same or something else?"

"Um, I don't know, Daddy wasn't specific. He just needed to confide in someone. I'll know more later, but don't say anything to anyone, okay. We have to act completely normal at this party."

"About that? If you don't want them to know about Ace just yet, then why are you changing that extra room so soon?"

"I'll have everything in order by Friday. Besides, no one snoops around our bedrooms. It'll be fine. You're mad about the nursery, aren't you?"

"Um, no, but I'm not sure it's the best idea right now and I don't understand why you had to say some of the things you said to Bells."

Their peaceful moment came to an abrupt halt. Kaleigh pushed herself up. "Oh yeah, how stupid of me. Bells is who's really important. Silly me, I thought it was your son. Fuck that whore. I can't believe you have the audacity to sit here and call her pet names in front of me. I'm an idiot. For a second, I thought I was still just as important to you as I once was. I guess this entire marriage has been one huge lie... me lying to myself mostly."

He tried to stop her. They still had things to talk about, but Kaleigh grabbed her dinner and headed into their room. She told him to clean up, that she was turning in. He heard her click the lock. God, he was the real idiot and his life just got even more twisted. He wanted to possibly release Kaleigh, but she'd knocked him for a loop with her mother's cancer recurrence. There was still no way he was having a baby with her. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her mother, but they'd have to find some hope elsewhere. Judging how she reacted when he put his foot in his mouth and talked about Bells to her, he doubted she'd ever want him to touch her again. Jacob cleaned the kitchen up and sat down in front of the TV until he felt exhausted. He decided not to think about anything serious the rest of the night. He'd only screw up no matter how good his intentions were.

* * *

A few days went by. Kaleigh continued with the room project, Ace came over a couple evenings, never longer than an hour. He had Seth and Collin coming over tonight. Bella offered to cook, but he told her Seth was bringing pizza. They didn't want to put her out. He really wanted Collin on board, it was obvious Seth was already there. If it hadn't been for this party, he'd head home to the res and talk it over with all the former pack. That would have to wait until the following weekend, which worked out for the best maybe. A friend of Kaleigh and her sister was having a bachelorette weekend. She already made the statement she wasn't comfortable going and leaving him home for the weekend with Bella. He said Bella was going to visit her father and he might do the same. He hadn't seen Billy in a long time. He added separate cars, different houses, but he knew it already sounded suspicious, so he quickly changed the subject. They'd talk about it later. He hadn't even discussed it with Bella either.

* * *

Jacob couldn't really make an excuse to hang out at their pizza party, but he found two large boxes on his doorstep when he came home from work. Kaleigh was working late which was good, seeing Bella get mail at their house would have probably sent her into another frenzy and they'd had a couple quiet days. He picked up the boxes one at a time and sat them on the doorstep. He knocked because Bella told him to stop walking in unannounced. She opened up, and he couldn't help but smiling at her. She looked so good, nothing glamorous or special, just like herself. No more oatmeal or tangles. He also couldn't get over the scent that poured out of the small space each time he opened the door. _Family. Home. Pup. Mate._ Those were some of his random thoughts in various order. Bella didn't look overly thrilled to see him recently, she frowned when she saw him. Then she looked at the boxes.

"Oh cool, the rest of our things."

She pulled the door all the way open and he brought in the first box. Bella tried to pick up the second one, but he told her he'd get it. "Where should I put these?"

"In front of the couch. I need to go through them."

He sat the big one down first, but when he carried the second one, he noticed a noise coming from inside. "Oh, this one's buzzing. Maybe one of Ace's toys came on." He started to open it. No sense letting the batteries run out. He didn't even think before he ripped the tape. He had one flap open before Bella sprinted across the room shouting for him to stop. All Jacob managed to see was a small, hot pink bag. He never knew Bella had such reflexes or hurdling abilities. She practically jumped a table and a chair to shove him over in order to grab whatever was in that bag. She scooped it out of the box and ran to the bedroom with the object in her hand.

What the hell?

He started following out of sheer curiosity, but Bella was hiding whatever was so secretive in a drawer. "Go away, Jake. Thanks for bringing in the boxes, but I don't need your help with the rest."

"Jeez, what did I do? What is that?"

"None of your business."

"Fine, I was only trying to help. I figured you wanted me to shut it off if something was running down batteries. Those aren't cheap."

Bella was beet red. Why in the hell was she so embarrassed? He tried to think about what he saw and the strange humming sound. _Ding._ He finally figured it out and he couldn't hide a snicker.

"Shut up, Jake. It's not what you think."

"How do you know what I'm thinking? I didn't say anything."

She walked back in the living room to start going through the rest of the boxes. Jacob watched her pull out blankets and baby toys, but she didn't say much or make eye contact with him.

"Ace is sleeping?" He knew that, but really just wanted to make small talk.

"Yes."

"You two doing okay? You ready to visit Seth and get to know Collin a little better this evening?"

"Jake, you can drop the act. You're dying to make fun of me right now. I know it."

He played dumb, "About what?"

"It was Bar, okay. He's being facetious. I swear, I tossed that thing in the trash before I left. It's not mine."

"Ew, you mean he sent you someone else's vibrator? That's fucking nasty." She picked up a stuffed zebra and tossed it at his head. He ducked, "You missed."

Bella explained Barry and Monica were always a little too concerned with her sexual health and maybe they bought her specific things when they shouldn't have. It was obvious she didn't want to have those types of private conversations with anyone. She was barely losing her blush, those bright red cheeks were still a subtle shade of pink.

He wasn't going to harass her any further. He told her he'd never speak of it again. Bella was a grown woman. She had needs and he couldn't help being immensely satisfied that she was satisfying those needs with a battery powered companion other than a living, breathing man who might hurt her one day, who really had no right to touch her body. He pretty much knew no man on earth deserved her, including himself.

He looked at her open laptop, so he changed the subject, "What's all this?"

"Possible job prospects."

"Oh, well, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I think you should probably hold off getting a job for now. I like the idea of you and Ace being in one central location. Besides, I don't want him a crowded daycare with a bunch of strangers' kids."

"I'm not crazy about daycare at his age either, but I need to work. I'll do what I have to in order to support us."

"That's what I'm saying, Bells. I'm good with supporting you both. I want to."

"Well, thanks, but no thanks. I've already made some calls. I have an interview next week and if it goes well, I'm going to start visiting daycares. Of course, you can come with me. I want to include you since it's an important decision."

Bella wasn't understanding his calm, rational side. That was actually a total ruse he put on for the outside world now. There was absolutely nothing calm or peaceful about Jacob Black any longer.

"NO!"

"I'm sorry, you're shouting for what reason... no, what?"

"No, you're not taking him to a daycare and you're not getting a job right now. End of discussion."

He was going to leave on that note, Kaleigh would probably be home any second.

Bella was on him in a matter of seconds, following close behind him, screaming at the top of her lungs. Their son must be a sound sleeper. "Who the hell do you think you are? I came here to allow you and Atticus to be close, not for you to dictate my life to me. I love staying home and taking care of him. I know there's purpose in that, but I also worked damn hard to earn a degree. I want to work too. I don't have to have a full-time position right now. I'd rather not, to be honest, but I'll be damned if you're going to tell me I can't leave this place and go out to earn my own money."

"Bella, protecting Ace is my sole purpose right now." She was just as important, but he didn't say so. "You'd be in one location, he'd be in another and I'd be at work. I'm already trusting bloodsuckers way more than I should. Quit making me sound like an asshole dictator. You know there's more to the story than that."

"All hail, mighty Alpha Black." She saluted him for added effect.

He was on a roll, might as well piss her off further. "It's probably a good idea, Barry sent your little friend, because it goes without saying that if I don't want my son around a bunch of snotty-nosed brats, I sure as hell don't want any strange men coming in and out of his life as well. Let's keep contact with others minimal until I see how determined the head leech is about pursuing your whereabouts. I'm out, I'll check on Ace later."

This time, he planned on going down to the garage, maybe he'd throw a few tools. He needed to toss some shit around, possibly break a few things because he needed an outlet for his frustrations. He certainly wasn't expecting her to start assaulting him, but Bella pounded his back as soon as he took a step towards the lower level of the garage.

"No you don't. We're not done here. Get your ass back up these stairs. How dare you? I would never put our son at risk. I have no intention of ever bringing 'strange men' around him."

"Good, then we're in agreement."

"No, not at all, asshole. I mean I would be very careful and selective about anyone I meet. However, one day, I'm hopeful to meet a nice guy and then whenever I decide it's the right time, I'll introduce him to Atticus. I can assure you that I won't be asking your input on the topic now or ever. It's not any of your damn business. You forced me into allowing another woman in his life already, so if and when I date, you can plan on staying out of it. When did you became such a misogynist? Man knows best, woman is inferior, etc. I know Billy didn't raise you that way."

He interrupted her, "Yeah, well Billy Black sure isn't a saint. He taught me very little about relationships with women."

"What the hell does that even mean? I know how close you two were. He was always much more open and forward thinking. You, however have just about reverted back to caveman status. I sure as hell don't want you making these sort of impressions on my son. Get a fucking grip, Jake. This is very unbecoming and I'm not going to stand for it. I might as well go back to California. I already have a ticket by the way."

He stalked back up the stairs with a flame of rage burning up and down his spine. He was never anti-woman, she was misconstruing every single thing he ever spoke every time he opened his mouth. He was sick of it. "What the fuck do you mean you have a ticket?"

"I have always had an emergency plan in place as soon as I left the Cullens. Nothing's changed, I still have one."

"From me or from Aro?"

"Either. More like whoever poses the biggest threat and right now, you fit the bill. You're being outrageous."

"You said you'd never take my son from me, are you back to your old lying ways?"

"Correction, I said I'd never leave without telling, so this is me telling you. Back off or I'm leaving with Atticus. You can visit, of course, but this other bullshit ends right now. I mean it, Jake."

"Fine... work then. However, I deserve a heads up, so I can make arrangements if you find a job or plan on handing my son over to some minimum wage employee that resents her life and probably secretly hates children."

"I never asked permission for working or dating, just so we're clear. Goodbye, Jacob. We're done for the day and I'd like to straighten up before my company arrives."

"I'd like an answer first."

"Here's your answer," she pointed to the front door. "Get the fuck out."

Jacob slammed the door shut. He heard Ace screaming before he got to the driveway. The kid could sleep through loud voices, but not that. He would remember that tidbit. He ran straight for the woods. Kaleigh would wonder what the hell he was up to if his car was there but he was missing. He'd worry about that later, he needed to run, he needed to let his wolf out. Bella was nothing but trouble, same story, different day. The worst realization was he still loved her more than anything and if Kaleigh hadn't dropped that cancer bomb on him, he would have told her by now. Instead, he and Bella were at each other's throats more than ever and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to change that for the time being. Someone needed to make a change and it sure as hell wouldn't be him. It became very clear to Jacob, he might end up isolated and alone, without a friend in the world and he was starting to care less and less.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **And on that note, feel free to hit me hard with your thoughts.**_


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: To New Acquaintances

Bella took a lukewarm shower to try and cool off some. What an arrogant, egotistical, crazy asshole. This was not the Jacob she knew years ago, hanging out in the Taj, sipping warm sodas that would occasionally ask for tools from underneath his car. This wasn't her best friend. He was always so patient and kind with her back then. Half the time, she was treating him like dirt and he still acted like a gentleman. Was this payback, because it was over the top. She was a damn, bratty teenager then, now she was the mother of his son. He owed her a bit more respect.

No, she can't work. No, she shouldn't date. She was livid. Too bad Seth was engaged and Collin was gay or she might try to hit it off with one of them just to rub it in his face. She wasn't sure what Collin looked like, but Seth was freaking fine. She still felt like a perv admitting that. Crashing one relationship in a lifetime was enough, he was safe around her. How would Bella ever find a date if she never left the damn apartment? That was all about to change, she'd almost been there a week. She had an epiphany drying off. He made himself at home browsing her laptop, maybe she sign up for some online dating sites and leave it up next time he was over. Sure, it was childish, but he deserved it.

The fact was, she was by no means ready to date, but being told by him she couldn't was beyond infuriating. Bella fired off a few angry texts to Barry.

 **The vibrator. Seriously?**

He sent a few emoticons, mostly laughing and blushing ones.

 **Not funny, Jake saw. I was so embarrassed.**

He called and tried to smooth it over. He claimed it was all Monica's idea. "So the big man was offended? Fears the competition, I bet his dick can't do special tricks." Oh, how wrong Barry was about that, but she wasn't going to allow her brain to go there.

"Um, I don't know what he was, possibly more amused than anything, but it sparked an argument eventually." Bella explained some of his crazy 1950's ideology.

Barry agreed he was a jerk, but he told her it could only mean one thing. "He's jealous, babe."

"It's not Jr. High. I'm not flattered if a boy acts jealous over who sent me a special Valentine. I expect him to be a little more mature. He lives with his wife practically in front of my face and I never act nutso with him."

She saw the time, so Bella told Barry she had to go because old friends were stopping by. He told her before she called back, he wanted her to get out and have some fun or he wasn't answering.

* * *

Bella's mood improved as soon as the guys showed up. Seth had a knack for putting her at ease and even though Collin was pretty quiet, she thought he was nice. He'd grown up into an attractive man as well. Those wolf genes never completely disappeared. She knew it was a risky topic since this guy had double crossed him, but she really took an interest in his facility. Once, she engaged him in conversation about that and some of her studies, Collin really opened up. They both enjoyed spending time with Atticus. Seth said Billy was getting anxious to meet him.

"I guess next weekend can't come soon enough."

"What's next weekend?"

"We're all going to La Push?"

"We?"

"Yeah, us, Jake, you and the baby."

News to her, Jake never said a word. There was a soft knock and then the door slowly opened, Bella mumbled, "Speak of the devil." Seth turned to the door, then laughed. Bella thought she actually didn't verbalize that. She was almost certain it was less than a whisper, but Seth heard. It was happening. She swore his hug already felt several degrees warmer than a few days ago.

Bella didn't say anything. Collin spoke up and asked what was up. Apparently, he and Jake hadn't seen each other in a while. Jacob avoided eye contact with her and she was relieved. She wished he'd just leave, he was killing her good mood.

"Hey, would it be alright if I give Ace his bath?"

She told him how she had to put the baby bath in the regular bathtub because the counter was too small. Bella asked him to get it all ready and then she'd bring the baby to him. He walked out of the room. Both Seth and Collin looked slightly awkward.

"And to think I was worried you two were going to make Kaleigh uncomfortable with your closeness. Ouch, that was frosty."

She decided to be a brat. "That's because he's a big dumb animal." Collin was trying to hold in his laughter because Jacob came back in the room at that exact time to get Atticus. "I said I would bring him."

"I'm ready now. Stay, enjoy your company."

Bella tried to stand up, but Jacob told her she wasn't needed. "I want to check the temperature."

"I already did. You showed me how. It's not that hard."

"Don't let him slip or turn his head into the water." He walked off without another word. She heard him carrying on a conversation with their son. Bella waited about three minutes. "I should go check he's doing it right."

Seth took up for him, "Sounded like he had it under control. You should enjoy the break."

The rest of the night was pretty tame. Jacob asked the guys to talk to him before they left. He and Bella didn't say anything else to each other. Atticus looked pretty happy after his bath. Jacob even got the sleeper snapped correctly. The first time he tried, he failed miserably. He was getting the hang of this daddy thing. Too bad, he was forgetting how to be a decent human being.

* * *

The party was underway. Bella kept the lights low, she only had on the TV and a small lamp. She wasn't about to hang out in the closet which was way too tiny and an absurd request of Kaleigh's. Several cars lined the driveway. She took a peek every time she heard a door slam. It was hard to make out the guests in the faint lights that lined the front of the house. However, she recognized the guy Mackenzie from the airport. She'd seen that car at least one other time that week. She didn't know his whole story, but Jacob talked a little bit about him the week he was in LA. It didn't seem like he was his favorite person, but apparently he was Kaleigh's. Bella thought he actually treated her decent considering what he figured out on the plane.

Alice called and kept her distracted. Bella decided to give her something to do. She needed a few new outfits if she was going to be out job hunting and doing interviews. She had worn the coffee shop uniform or jeans and tees for school, it had been forever since she got new clothes, not counting a few maternity things. Alice wanted to make it a day of it. Bella was hesitant to commit. She would have to run it by Jake. It should be fine for Atticus. It wasn't like Alice was going to carry him or anything like that.

"Just tell the dog to watch him and we can be twice as fast. He's his father."

"I know. I guess I could try for Sunday afternoon." Bella had an interview Tuesday and after talking with Collin, she was super excited he might have something for her since he was trying like crazy to hang onto the clinic. He said he'd be in touch later next week.

Atticus took an early nap that day, so he was already down for the count. He was typically sleeping five to six hour stretches at night now. Bella was curled up under a blanket trying to find something she wanted to watch. She was already noticing the temperature differences. Washington was starting to feel like fall. She could've sworn she heard a soft rap at the door.

Damn, what would she say to one of Kaleigh's relatives? She muted the television and planned on pretending she wasn't even there. One more tap. "Bella, hey, you busy?"

It wasn't Jake, he would've already walked in, and that voice was different, but he said her name. She stood on her tiptoes and squinted to see out the peephole. She recognized the perfectly groomed beard, so she unlocked the door.

"Hey, Mackenzie. What are you doing?"

"Hiding. Mind if I hang out for a bit? I brought wine... the good stuff. I raided Black's mini bar."

Bella invited him in. She was already curious why he was hiding. He sat the bottle of wine on her counter. He really was handsome. She swore she hadn't noticed a man's looks in years, but Mackenzie had a few of Kaleigh's attractive features. She could tell they were related. His hair was the lightest shade of brown that is was almost blonde, but she was sure it was brown. He also had really dark blue eyes, the color of denim. She worried she stared too closely, but with most of the lights out, she was just taking him in a little better than she had at the airport.

"So hiding from you family, what's up with that?"

He asked if she had wine glasses. She hadn't seen any, but she pulled out two clear plastic cups. "Sorry, this is all I've got."

"Are you kidding? That's fucking classy. Thanks. You like red?"

"Yes, it's my favorite, but only half a cup. I haven't had any wine in a long time." She remembered the last time that actually was and it made her stupid blush fire up. Hopefully, Mackenzie wouldn't notice in the dark. That reminded her, it was kinda weird to be sitting in the kitchen with someone she barely knew without any lights on. He knew his way around her kitchen. He found the corkscrew, then retrieved a few candles before she even said anything.

He held them up, "For storms. Everyone has these in Washington."

Bella knew where a lighter was, so she ran to the bathroom so she could light the candles.

He poured the wine and started talking. "It's my mother and Selene, of course. They're on mine and my cousin, Devon's cases about our lifestyle, so to speak. We need to be settling down, carrying on the Langston line, and then some." Bella had figured out if Kaleigh and Mackenzie had the same last name, it must be their dads that were brothers. "Yeah, but our mothers are like this." He held up his fingers crossed.

Mackenzie started chatting away. He was giving her the scoop on his family. She knew very little about Kaleigh up until then. He was friendly, except he had a few unflattering things to say about Jacob. She sipped tiny sips of wine. What he said about Jacob might be accurate, but she also had wronged his cousin. Bella wasn't dumb, maybe he showed up out of the blue with ulterior motives.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Shouldn't I be the sworn enemy or something?"

"My cousin is my best friend, so maybe you should be, but you just give out a vibe that you're nice. Am I wrong? Some people say I'm a terrible judge of character."

"I try to be nice. I really don't make it my mission to hurt people or screw with their lives. Jacob and I have a very long, complicated history. It might be cliché, but it truly did just happen. I'm sorry for the turmoil I caused your family or will when they all find out."

Mackenzie told her his aunt was going to be the worst. He described her to Bella. "If she comes to the door, don't answer it."

"She's that bad?"

"I heard Kaleigh had a chit chat with you."

"Um, yeah. It was enlightening."

"Well, her mother is about ten times worse when she feels threatened and she doesn't like Black. It's one of our only commonalities."

"Why?" She wondered why anyone wouldn't like Jake. Of course, she knew why he made her furious, but as a person, apart from all this supernatural stuff, she would've imagined any parent would have seen him as a great catch.

"I think my Uncle Graham is okay with him for now, but Aunt Selene was always a bit concerned, Jacob grew up on a reservation without a mother or a proper upbringing."

Bella got defensive quickly, "Jacob had a wonderful parent that loved him very much. It's no one's fault his mother had a tragic accident."

"Calm down. I'm just telling you some of her concerns. She loves charity work and being a conscientious philanthropist, but I swear to God she asked Kaleigh how brown she thought their children might be before they got married."

"That's offensive."

"That's Aunt Selene. She would have much rather Kay ended up with a country club type."

Bella made a face. Yuck, that immediately made her think snob, pretentious know-it-alls, not her type at all.

"I see you don't like them."

"No, I shouldn't judge. I only know from working at the cafe, but you're right. That's not Jake."

"I'm a country club specimen if you must know. Aunt Selene was always trying to get me to set Kaleigh up with my friends."

"Oh, I didn't. I mean." Bella did a face palm. She wasn't meaning to be insulting.

"Forget it. I like your honesty. It's actually my love for the game, not all the other bullshit. I grew up in a high class family. I like golf. I'm a collector as well."

"Like what, balls?"

He drained his glass and laughed loudly. "Oops, don't wanna wake the kid. Sorry. Nope, I don't collect balls, more like clubs. I have about thirty sets of vintage clubs. I love 'em. I even have a few that belonged to celebrities and famous golfers."

Bella thought that was kinda cool, but if he started name dropping, she'd probably be clueless.

He poured another full glass of wine for himself, but Bella shook her head, she hadn't even consumed half of her half glass. He asked if she didn't like it. "It's a blend, went well with the tenderloin we had. Maybe I should've stolen you some food as well."

Bella had already eaten a sandwich, but she sorta had the munchies. She allowed Mackenzie to pour her a proper glass while she got out crackers and cheese.

"Now it's a real party." Bella had been so secluded for a full week, she didn't realize how much she missed having real conversations. Of course, she's seen Seth and Collin and had phone chats, but it was a treat to be sipping red wine and having someone interact with her without a baby on her lap. He told her he didn't mean to talk so much about himself. He wanted to know more about her plans. She talked a little about her degree.

"Don't laugh. Everyone thinks it's weird, especially Jake."

He said nonsense, he thought it was fascinating. She told him about her interview and a little more about Collin's business. He encouraged her, said he bet she'd have a job by this time next week. He told her since she probably knew very few people in the area, she should take his number down. Bella saved it in her phone.

He also asked her to send out a quick text, so he'd know her number.

She sent a waving hand and said hi.

His phone dinged and he waved at her from across the tiny two seat table. Bella giggled.

"Seriously, though, I want to be neutral. I love Kaleigh, she's my girl. I want her to get a grip, but she's entitled to some bitch fits, don't you think?"

"Um, certainly as long as her fits don't adversely affect my son. Atticus is all that matters to me right now."

"I get it. I respect that. Maybe, I shouldn't say this, but those two were never right for each other. I've said it all along. I practically begged my cousin to cut her losses."

"Well, I can tell Jacob honestly loves her."

"Come on, Bella. You're a smart lady. Love don't mean shit. That's why I don't do love. That's why my mother and my aunt are driving me insane because I'm approaching thirty and nowhere near settling down."

"You're different." He truly was, Mackenzie was a straight talker and Bella was used to that with Barry, but never someone she really didn't know.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

Bella hid her face behind her fancy, plastic wine cup. A pet name. Needless to say, it had been a very long time anyone said something like that to her. Mackenzie was so talkative, Bella enjoyed listening. She had some nosy questions of her own.

"How'd they end up together, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Pretty sure you shouldn't be."

"Oh yeah, you're right. My apologies. It's none of my business."

He laughed again and said he was just messing around. "Kay likes projects and even though she's a momma's girl, she kinda wanted to challenge her mother. Jacob is a fish outta water here. I don't think he's cut out for this world, but Kaleigh proved he could do it. She loves projects."

Bella was quick with a sharp reply, "A spouse is not a project."

"Sheesh, I don't know. Maybe that's not it. I guess you know why I'm single. Could we at least toast to that?"

Bella relaxed a little and clicked her cup with his. "To free will."

"I can drink to that. I can drink to just about anything, but also to new acquaintances." Bella tapped her glass once more. Mack looked over at the paused TV screen.

"I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something? We could go over and watch it. I probably don't have much longer before they send out a search party."

Bella sipped her wine again. She was enjoying their little party in the kitchen, but stepping over to the couch had a whole other vibe to it. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea even though, she assumed he had no other ideas than just being friendly at the present time.

"Or were you about to turn in?"

"Well, to tell you the truth. I probably should soon. I'm sure Atticus will be up early."

Mackenzie said he'd take a rain check, but if she was ever bored and wanted to watch movies or something, he was game. He finished his second glass, but told her to keep the rest of the wine. Bella might have had a full glass by now after his refill, she felt warm all over. Just as her guest was starting to stand and make his departure. The door swung open. No knock, as usual. Jacob filled the entire doorway. She could see a few flashes of lighting in the background. It seemed very theatrical, a storm behind him because Bella didn't need the lights on to know he was furious.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

"I told you to stop letting yourself in. Mackenzie was just saying hi again."

Jacob looked at the darkened room. He stared at the table with the two flickering candles and a bottle of wine resting in between them. Was it possible she'd learned to sense his emotions? That was supposed to be the wolf's specialty, not hers.

"Your boy's asleep, so what are you doing over here bothering Bella? I'm sure Kay wouldn't like to hear about this."

"I was looking for you, dipshit. Selene wants a picture with all the kids."

"None of us have kids except for you and I thought that was still a secret."

"I mean her kids and your parents' kids, idiot."

"Okay, let's go then."

"No, you head out. I have something to discuss with Bella... about Ace."

As soon as they were alone, Bella apologized he missed seeing Atticus all day. "He went to sleep early, but you can have a peek. You were busy all afternoon helping get ready for the party, I guess. Just come over in the morning. He'll be happy to play."

Jacob didn't say anything. He just kept standing there like a wall in the middle of the room. He still hadn't looked at her. He was staring at the little bistro table. A minute went by, he walked over to the table, blew out both candles in one breath before grabbing the wine and ceremoniously pouring it down the sink

"Hey, stop. Mackenzie said I could keep it. It's really good wine."

"Should you even be drinking wine? That's pretty damn irresponsible, isn't it? I've seen what wine does to you."

Bella knew it was perfectly safe to have a glass occasionally. She'd read that in many childcare books, even Atticus's doctor said so. If she was the least bit concerned she had too much, she could pump and dump, but Jacob wasn't even talking about that. He meant something entirely different.

"It was one glass, jerk."

"Well, Mack's not safe to drink even a glass with. He's a player. You need to be smarter than that before you plan on getting buzzed with a perfect stranger while my son sleeps in the next room."

"He was being nice. That was it. I wasn't going to down the bottle and fuck him on the couch. Jesus, give me some credit. But you know what, even if that's where we were about to do, it's none of your damn business."

Jacob dropped the empty wine bottle in the trashed and turned around. He started walking towards her, so she backed up which was dumb. Now she was pinned into the door that led downstairs. "Don't say shit like that to me. It takes very little to rile me up these days."

"Mackenzie's hot. I like him." It just slipped out of her mouth without a thought.

"Bells, I'm fucking warning you."

"What? I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be."

"Why, have you suddenly become abusive? You'd hurt me because I pissed you off?"

"Hell no, of course not. Don't even joke like that. It's just... I'm more animal than man these days. I need you to be aware of that."

"Maybe you should go run. I'm tired and want to go to bed." He put his hands on her shoulders, so she couldn't move. Bella saw something happen in his eyes. They had streaks of illuminated, yellow lines running throughout his normal dark eyes.

He still didn't scare her.

"Mack is using you to get under my skin. He and I are rivals, about everything, but this takes the cake."

"That has nothing to do with me."

"Like hell, it most certainly does. He wants to check off his list and burn me in the process."

"What list?"

"You're a MILF, it means mom I'd... "

She shoved him. "I know what it means. I was pretend dead, I haven't been living under a rock. That's absurd. I've heard enough. Stay out of my business. I'm not that naïve. I lived in a big city a long time without someone watching my every move. You need to go."

Jacob told her to move. He unlocked the door and started to head down to the garage. She was shocked he wasn't going back to his wife's party.

Bella followed him. "What are you doing?" He was uncovering something in the corner on the other side of his car. She'd never noticed the tarp before. "The bike. I can't believe you still have your motorcycle."

"I keep it running. I could never part with it."

"You're going to go for a ride, now... in the middle Kaleigh's mother's party?" Goodness gracious, she wasn't the only woman he probably pissed off on a regular basis.

"Yep, it's either this or go back inside, punch Mack in the face so hard he's totally unconscious before I toss him through a plate glass window." She should say something, but what. _Don't leave, don't be jealous, be a better husband to Kaleigh. Be my friend again._ Nothing on the tip of her tongue seemed right, so she shook her head, walked back up the stairs and locked the door.

* * *

Bella slept sound for several hours. Maybe it was the little bit of wine. Atticus woke up at four, but was soon back sound asleep. She carefully laid him back down in his crib. When she turned around, she ran right into him. After years of uncertainty because of Aro, Bella had the dream quite often, a stranger in her bedroom late at night.

He clamped his hand over her mouth in case she intended to scream. She wasn't going to because she knew it was him all along. She kicked at him when he lifted her to pull her out of the room. He let go of her mouth, but not the rest of her.

"Have you lost your mind, Jake? What are you doing in my room?"

"I needed to see you. We have to talk."

"At 4:30 in the morning, no thanks. Won't your wife notice you're gone?"

"No, she's out cold. She had one of those bottles of wine to herself, plus a couple of beers. I don't sleep with her anyway." She was a little shocked by that information, but she didn't say a word. "Bells, I hate this."

"I told you it wasn't going to work."

"No, not that you're here, that you and I are always arguing."

"Then stop being so crazy."

"I can't."

"Of course you can, you can't blame your wolf for everything. I try and let you spend as much time with Atticus as you want and all you do is bark orders at me or point out my faults."

"No, I don't." She said she was tired and wanted to go back to bed. "It's just Kaleigh is driving me crazy. I expected her to be hurt and mad, but it's worse than that."

"So you come to me and take out all your frustrations because you think you've already done too much to her."

"I... no, well... shit, I don't know. I guess."

"Jake, do you still want to be married to her?" Bella wasn't asking for herself in all honesty. She was asking purely as a friend.

"I shouldn't be in here bothering you. I'm sorry about the fight, all of them actually. Sorry if I scared you. Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

Bella wanted to say more, but it was late and she was still extremely tired. However, the fact he didn't answer her question kept her awake almost the rest of the night.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I appreciate everyone that asks for an update ASAP. It's the only thing keeping me going. Also, views are not working at all. I have no idea how many people are reading unless I see a review. No pressure ;)**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**~Did not plan on this update tonight, but as someone pointed out, the last chapter got lots of reviews, the most so far. I truly appreciate that.**_

Chapter 19: Progress

The next few days were better between them. Jacob babysat Atticus Sunday afternoon for her. He stayed in the apartment which made her feel much more at ease than him taking him in the house with Kaleigh. It turned out she gone all day with her mother and sister. Alice insisted on buying Bella expensive clothes and far too many, but for once it felt nice to dress up again. Jacob took care of Atticus again for her interview Tuesday at the health district which didn't seem like it was going to be a good fit for her, mainly because the hours were too demanding. She never mentioned Collin's proposal because he wasn't sure what evening he'd be free.

Collin called her Thursday and asked if he could pick her up for dinner. She knew he wouldn't mind if Atticus joined them, but she was trying to be professional even though he was a friend. Jacob was home by 5:30. He hadn't been to see Atticus yet, but Bella got everything together and went to the house. It would be the first time she knocked on that door. The whole time she was saying _please be Jake, not Kaleigh._

He opened the door. His hair was wet, he must have just gotten out of the shower. Jake was so sexy after a shower, but she tried not to look or breathe.

"What's up? I was just about to come over."

"Yeah, about that, can you watch him? I have another interview."

"Now?" He sounded shocked.

"Yeah, it's a combo dinner/interview."

"Sure, okay. What kinda job is this, Bells?"

"Can I tell you later, if I get the position? I don't want to jinx it. I have a really good feeling about this one."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he promised to try and behave so he asked when Atticus needed a bottle and details like that. She'd taught him all about the art of thawing breastmilk and let him practice giving a bottle to his son a few times before. Atticus wasn't always keen on the artificial nipples so he had to work with him, but when he got hungry enough, he'd take it.

Bella took off for the apartment to finish getting ready. She yelled back, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Bells."

Collin insisted on picking her up, so she wouldn't have to drive around at night. She texted Alice the details. She knew she'd always report back to Jacob, but Bella told her to say as little as possible. Jacob needed to learn to trust her. Bella marched up the driveway as soon as Collin said he was almost there. She really didn't want to be seen by Jacob. She looked back over her shoulder once and swore she saw movement in a window. He was probably spying. He had no idea if Collin hired her, she'd be getting the best of both worlds. If he phased again, she'd always be with a wolf and he also told her most days, Atticus could come with her. She was hoping for the best.

* * *

He gave her the job, but was worried he couldn't offer much pay until the civil suit was settled. She told him his offer was much better than zero dollars, so they shook on it at dinner. She could bring Atticus, but the first week would be hectic, so he wondered if she could find a part-time sitter that Jake would approve of. She said she would figure something out. Bella was going to help him get some of the books in order. She wasn't a math whiz, but she knew a thing or two about basic accounting skills.

Collin was most interested in her building his clients' profiles. He was all about meeting all the needs of each individual. That's why he had the medical side to the clinic but also the social, spiritual and counseling parts. That's where Bella was going to be an asset. The biggest part of their clientele were Native Americans and hippie types, Collin joked. He said he was starting to get more people that had terminal illnesses which he had really developed a passion for. He wanted them feeling like they were still in control of their lives to an extent while finding remedies that helped them also feel better physically. He never claimed to be something that they weren't, like miracle workers, but even some of those in the gravest of health showed improvements with the all natural methods.

Jacob met her out front with Atticus as soon as they turned in. He shook his head at them when Collin dropped her off. "Call me later, bro."

"Sure thing, Jake."

He walked them inside, "Why didn't you just tell me it was Collin?"

Bella put Atticus in the swing. He almost looked too drowsy for a bath. They could skip it. She imagined his father wore him out playing. "I didn't know it was that important." She lied.

"You knew damn well it was. I worried half the night what man wanted to take you to dinner on your first interview. It sounded shady."

"Are you ever going to quit?"

"Admit it, I was better this time."

"Yeah, maybe, were you worried I was about to become an exotic dancer?" She laughed at her teasing and the faces he made. He did the whole growling thing and said that would never happened. Bella made a tiny circle with her fingers, "You're an itty bitty bit better. I'm so excited about this job. You have no idea how great it sounds for me."

"I'm happy for you. Collin will be fair and he'll protect you."

"He doesn't seem like he's about to phase though."

"About that, when we all get to the reservation next weekend, I think I know exactly how to put a rush on that." They had first hoped to go the following day, but Jacob was completely mixed up about Kaleigh's weekend with her girlfriends. This weekend was showers and family stuff, which she insisted he must attend. The next weekend was girls' getaway. Bella was pretty sure they fought about the trip. She heard Jacob downstairs in the garage more than once recently. Sometimes, he went off on the motorcycle, other times she swore she could almost fell it when he was running out back as his wolf even though she never saw.

Bella wondered if she should be worried about this trip. She was pretty sure she should be. She was pretty certain of one other thing. It was time to come all the way clean with Jacob. "Could you stay a minute? There's something I need to show you."

Bella went inside the bedroom to get the item she'd been needing to give him, but kept postponing. She had it in her hand, but decided to shove it in her front pocket first. "You have to make me a promise."

"Okay. I promise."

"Wait, you don't know what I'm asking yet." Bella took a deep breath and faced him head on, "Promise you won't freak out. I have something to give you that's upsetting, but swear you won't freak out or forget it."

"Goddamn Bells, just the fact you're saying that already makes me feel like freaking out. Hand it over."

"No, I changed my mind. I'll give it to you tomorrow."

He shook his head and chuckled. It wasn't a funny laugh, it was a scary movie villain sort of laugh. He knew she already had the item on her. Bella didn't really have anywhere to run. She thought she could run to the bedroom, shut the door and hide it and then he'd have to give up and wait for tomorrow. She decided she was way too tired to deal with one of his explosions.

She would never be faster than him. Why the hell did she bring it up? She should've never run to the bedroom of all places. He grabbed her before she got inside the room. Jacob was yelling the whole time to give it up. For once, it wasn't his angry voice. He was messing with her. She couldn't stop going into a fit of hysterics. He never played fair and he knew all her tickle spots. Jacob let go with one hand and she twisted out of his grip briefly, but after a few circular spins around the room, they tumbled to the bed.

He was brazen enough to feel for the hidden item in her pocket. His hand directly over her hip did more than light her tickle bone on fire.

Bella screamed, "Jacob stop!" She tried to pull his hand out of her pants, but he ended up grabbing both her hands and pinning them over her head. He held the rest of her firmly to the mattress with his heavy leg. She tried to slow the out of control situation down, but they'd already gone too far. Jacob half way on top of her on the bed, she could scarcely speak English any longer. Bella needed to find her words and fast.

The look in his eyes, the way his body felt pressed into her, made her fear she was in imminent danger... danger of making a fool of herself. "Stop it, Jake. I'll give it to you."

His eyes got bigger and he stuttered, "Wh... what?"

"I mean, do you still want what I have?" Dammit, that still didn't sound right. She could feel every breath he took against her chest.

"Bells... "

"Take it, please. Get off. I can't breathe. I need to check on Atticus."

He rolled a little and gave her a reprieve, but she really wished it was appropriate to say more instead of stop, maybe with all their clothes off. Jacob released her hands, she dug into her pocket and placed the memory stick in between his fingers.

They quickly got themselves off the bed. "What is this?"

"It's a flash drive."

"Yeah, I can tell, but what's on it? Birth pics or newborn pics of Ace? If so, you're right, some of those might freak me out."

"No, but I totally owe you some pictures. I'm working on that. Um, actually, you're not going to like this one bit."

Bella walked out into the open space to see Atticus had fallen asleep in his swing. Jacob said he'd just had a diaper change, so he could put him in his crib for her. She let him do that. She used to think she was the only one that could get him to stay asleep during a transfer, but Jacob had learned so much in a short amount of time. He bent over and kissed him. "Sleep well, buddy."

They went back in the living room. She had to finally admit the whole truth. "I saved all my chats with Aro. I think you should read them. Some are pointless drivel, others creep me the hell out and I dream about them. They start from when I still lived with the Cullens all the way up to a few days ago."

"A few days ago!" She could tell he was trying to be calm but it wasn't working.

"I know what you said, but I know Aro. He was trying to get in touch ever since I left LA. The spies must have gotten word out before you destroyed them. He knows, Jake. He knows what you are and he knows you're Atticus's father."

"Dammit. Do you how much I want to go over there and exterminate that ancient tick?"

"I know, but that's not going to work. Alice insists we have time. He wants to toy with me a little while longer."

Jacob growled.

Bella reached down for his hand. He pulled her all the way in for a full body hug. "I guess I can't stop being trouble. I'm so sorry, Jake. I know you need your brothers, but I'm so worried about all of you."

"It's going to be fine, Bells. Thanks, for giving this to me. I'll start taking a look as soon as possible. I haven't made this easy on you."

Nothing about any of this was easy, but when Bella was this close to Jacob, she believed him that they would be fine. A part of her even dared to dream, one day they'd be absolutely perfect.

* * *

The week was great, so much better than her first two weeks back in Washington. She loved Collin's clinic. Bella had a hard time leaving Atticus for five hours each day. Unexpectedly, Kaleigh came to the rescue. She had a client that ran a daycare. It was a little unique, because they were open long hours and weekends. It wasn't the typical kind that required payment by the week whether you brought your child or not. It was strictly pay as you go. Jacob was a bit concerned it was crowded when they visited but they were still meeting the state guidelines and it was really close to his job, which eased his mind a bit. She honestly didn't think she'd need to leave him more than five or six times. Of course, when he was older and mobile, she might need a more permanent sitter. They'd cross that bridge eventually. No one was going crazy or exhibiting huge tantrums or tempers, including Kaleigh.

Bella was enjoying a little attention from Mackenzie from time to time. It was very casual, just texting, but he'd asked her to dinner some time to celebrate her new job and she was seriously considering accepting his offer.

She needed to finish packing. Collin gave her all of Friday off. They were leaving late afternoon. Atticus had been up at five so they both fell back to sleep until eight. Bella thought it was good to sleep in. She was taking her time, sipping a cup of coffee when Jacob walked in. He'd gotten so much better about respecting her space, but she expected some slip ups.

"Hey, wait a minute. I thought you had to work until after lunch."

"There's been a change of plans. How quick can you and Ace be ready to go?"

"What's wrong?"

"Seth. It's starting. I want to try and get him to the reservation."

"Oh, well go. Atticus and I will leave soon then."

Jacob didn't like that idea. He wanted her to follow him. She needed more time. She had an emergency bag, but she'd rather pack normal to visit her father for three days. He made a compromise. He would go to the clinic, but he wanted her there as soon as possible, so he could assess Seth and they'd finalize plans after that. Collin was trying to keep him comfortable. Seth showed up in the wee hours with a raging fever and body aches.

He told her to stay outside, but she didn't listen. Bella left the baby in his carrier in Collin's office. She went to the back where they were taking care of Seth.

Jake yelled at her. She was expecting that. "It's not safe, where's Ace?"

She told him he was fine. The car ride over put him to sleep. Seth looked miserable. Bella felt the need to comfort him. Jacob held his arm up and tried to keep her back.

"It's fine, Jake. He needs a woman's touch. Seth, honey. It's okay. Jacob's going to take care of you. You've been through this before... as a kid. You're way stronger now and you know what to expect. Thank you so much. I know you're doing this for me and for Atticus." She kept talking and Seth opened his eyes to look at her. His terrible shivers almost completely subsided. She added Jacob really wanted to get him home. She told him how everyone was waiting for him, all the people that loved him. "Can you wait? Can you do that, Seth? Hold on, just a little bit longer. You have to trust Jake. He knows what's best."

Seth actually smiled at her. He told them he wanted to sit up. It looked like they were going to get their wish and he'd make the car ride after all. Bella noticed three pairs of eyes staring at her.

"What?"

Collin spoke up. "Holy shit. Did you all see that?"

Jacob interrupted him, "Yes, we're right here."

"But she just... I mean, Bella is... " Jacob shook his head side to side for some reason, so Collin finished. "You rule. That's all I was going to say."

"Collin, drive Bella's car. You're fine, correct."

"I'm good." Jacob didn't look convinced. "I swear it, I'm good. If I feel strange, I'll pull over or maybe let her order me not to."

"Collin."

He shut up. Bella was a bit confused. She had never ordered anyone in her life, but Seth stood up with a little assistance from Jake. Collin insisted they both chug down some herbal concoction before getting on the road. Jacob and Seth took the lead in his car and Collin drove the Jetta while she sat next to Atticus in the back.

* * *

After they got out of the city, Collin asked if she could talk to him. She saw beads of perspiration on his forehead in the rearview mirror.

"Are you okay? I think you're starting to run a fever."

"Yeah, I'm fine, but talk about anything. Tell me about California. I actually did a Napa tour with he who shall not be named. Dammit. I shouldn't have thought of that. Please, just talk. Happy things, funny stuff would be best."

Bella told him more about Barry and Monica. He already thought they sounded like fun. She was worried she bored him to death with the facts she knew about coffee beans, but he kept telling her to keep going. Once she mentioned Aro and he stopped her.

"Nope, probably best you don't talk about him."

"Oh, right, sorry." Bella called to check on Jacob and Seth. She whispered Collin didn't look so hot. Jacob told him over the speaker that he might need to pull over. They were more than two thirds of the way with plenty of forest as cover.

She wondered if it would be similar for all the others after they arrived. They'd spend some time with her, Jacob would order them to phase again and then a week or two later, they would be consumed with flu-like symptoms. Bella saw the sign they were twenty five miles away from La Push when Jacob pulled off the road. She saw Seth bolt from the car and Jacob hot on his heels. She caught just a glimpse of their wolves through the thick brush. It had been so long since she saw him like that. She was still in awe of his majestic beauty.

Collin swore he was still able to drive, so he let Bella take over driving her car and he got into Jake's. She was so relieved when they drove up at Sue's. Suddenly, her relief was replaced with trepidation. What if everyone else wasn't so friendly like Collin and Seth? Bella had a distinct memory of Paul Lahote not being so nice and Sam used to appear to be put out with her frequently. Maybe Jacob hadn't thought this through. Collin opened her door.

"You coming?"

"I don't know, maybe I should drive to Dad's."

"Bella, come on. They all know the story. The guys are expecting you. In fact, they really need to see you." He held out his hand. She grabbed it and was shocked to feel his heated skin. "I know. I don't have much longer."

Sue greeted her first. She gave her a welcoming hug and said Charlie was on his way as soon as work was over. Bella was surprised that Jacob was ready to tell her father the truth. Sue explained what she knew about that. "He believes, so much is going to be happening in a short period of time, it'll be really difficult to hide it from Charlie. He's already been suspicious for years. Jacob said you had to agree. I can do it if you want."

Bella felt satisfied that he was actually letting her make an important decision. She told Sue it was her job, but she wouldn't mind her being nearby for moral support. She said Billy would be there soon, Rachel and Paul were bringing him over.

Atticus needed a change and a feeding. Sue told her to take her time and showed her to the guest room. Sue was going to check on Collin. Bella could tell she wanted to feel useful. She couldn't do anything for Seth now, he was in Jake's hands. Bella thought about all the guys, sure to phase one by one. Jacob was about to truly be overwhelmed, but she made a promise to herself, to just be there for him... whatever he needed her to be.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 ** _These La Push chapters have got me crazy. Bear with me, please. I don't see myself making daily updates all week. Also, Bella is a bit dense after being kept in the dark so long. I'm sure you all see what's happening._**


	20. Chapter 20

_**~La Push chapters will take me longer, but I will get these out as soon as possible. I have a little encourager. She PM's me almost daily and politely asks. I didn't think this chapter was ready, but it actually was. I listened to Christina Perri's "Arms" for inspiration.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 20: Improbable Promises

Bella jumped up after dinner to help with the dishes. Atticus was not short on pairs of hands that wanted to hold him. Billy had won out, apparently. He was in awe from the second Paul brought him inside. Rachel claimed her rights as an aunt several times. Her children were seven and five and she said she desperately needed a baby fix. Paul was fairly pleasant to Bella and told her thanks for having a kid. It took the pressure off him. He said he wasn't sure about starting over.

By dinnertime, Collin, Seth, Jacob and Sam were all missing. Collin tried to hang on a little while longer not wanting to overwhelm Jacob with two new wolves at once, but Bella saw his pain and discomfort. She was the one to give him the go ahead. She reminded him how strong Jacob was and that he was ready for him. When Sam volunteered to step out with him, she once again noticed the entire room went silent. Absolutely everyone was staring at her to the point she felt self-conscious.

Every single person from her past in La Push, minus Leah, eventually showed for dinner: Jared and Kim and their daughter, Emily and Sam had three kids, Quil, Embry and Brady all came in as group. Quil was still just as funny. He picked her up and gave her a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek. He even made a comment about her larger breasts and fuller hips.

"Damn girl, you filled out. No wonder Jake couldn't keep... " Embry knocked him in the head before he finished his sentence. She was glad for that. Embry gave her a quick one armed hug that she thought felt stiff. He seemed like one of the only ones that was different. Embry was always quiet, but he seemed a bit off. She told herself it wasn't exactly a normal day. He had a right to be feeling uneasy.

Emily and Kim nudged her away from the sink. "Go visit. Let us finish this up."

Bella sat down near Jacob's father. "I can't believe how content he is being passed around."

"He likes people and attention."

"Well, you're about to get plenty of that young fellow. We've been waiting for you. Bella, I know my son is being hard headed right now, but you are welcome to stay longer than just this weekend. You're welcome anytime, for as long as you want."

"Thanks, Billy. For now, Seattle's working out. I'm pretty excited about my new job with Collin. I guess we all know now, he'll protect me too."

"Yeah, sure he will. Just don't forget the reservation is this little guy's true home, like his father. It's in his blood."

"I won't. I love seeing you with him. You're a natural."

Bella pulled out her phone and snapped a picture. She wanted to show Jacob later. Everyone was being so nice and accepting, even Paul. He wasn't nearly as scary as she remembered. Rachel must have softened him up a bit. She tried to stay focused on the crowd, because every time she let her mind wander, she worried about Jacob. She had no idea how long it might be before he got a break.

Sam came in after several hours. Emily jumped up and ran to him. Sam stopped her. "Don't, I'm not staying. I can't." Bella had watched Seth and Collin earlier, she knew it was already happening to Sam too. There was a certain look to them the closer they got. "Guys, lets go. Jake wants to speak to all of you. If you feel fine, then he wants you to go home and get some rest. You're gonna to need it."

The guys didn't hesitate, but Bella shouted for them all to wait. They all stopped dead in their tracks. She ran to the kitchen and got the box of food she'd put aside. Bella handed it to Quil. "Take this, please. They need to keep up their strength."

No one was moving forward yet. Brady asked, "Can we go?"

"Yes, of course, Go. Be safe, oh and tell Jake, Atticus and I are doing fine." How silly of Brady, he was a bit of a jokester like Quil.

Bella assumed that she'd go home with Charlie, but Billy said he thought she should come home with him. She realized about half way there she forgot the pack n play, but Rachel said they had one at the house. Bella wasn't sure how they'd all fit over there, but she found out Paul added onto little house years ago.

She decided it was as good of time as any. Bella nodded to Billy and Sue. Rachel volunteered to take Atticus in the other room. Her daughter, Willow was excited to fuss over her new cousin any chance she got. Sage, their boy, was a lot less concerned with the baby. He'd been playing with Sam and Emily's son all evening. He even begged his mother to spend the night, but she said his father wanted them all together tonight.

* * *

Charlie asked why the guys were being so mysterious and disappearing, several times since he first arrived. She could tell he was put out with Jacob for dropping her off in the thick of things and never checking on her once. "Bells, that's a nice offer from Billy, but you don't have to go with them because Jake says so."

"I know, Dad." She blew out a breath. It was time, time to tell her father things weren't exactly what he thought they were. Life was not orderly and predictable which is pretty much what Charlie Swan thrived on. She hated that he'd have to know, she not only faked her death, but had been adamant at one time about dying voluntarily. Sue put her arm around him and he stiffened. He probably was worried how that looked since they pretended nothing was going on for some reason. Billy helped her get the ball rolling. He got to talking about the tribe and the legends a bit.

"I respect you, friend, but this is this is about Bells. She has nothing to do with all that. Go on kiddo, spit it out."

Billy looked right at her and said, "She has far more to do with it than even she knows."

Bella had no choice, but to spit it out like her father asked. Atticus was going to be tired and ready for bed soon. "Dad, Jake and the guys are the legends come true. They're spirit warriors." He stopped her there to dispute the craziness of her assertions, but both Billy and Sue collaborated her story. Billy even went a step further to remind her dad about cold ones from their legends. Bella continued, "They quit for a long time, but now it's happening again. It's because of me. I'm some sort of vampire magnet and he's after me."

"Who the hell's after you, Bells?" Her father even put his hand to his side instinctively because he often wore a gun there. She knew he heard danger and was ready to protect her.

"Aro, he lives in Volterra Italy and he's pretty much the head vampire of the entire world."

"Italy, well how the hell does some crazy vampire in Italy know about you?"

Billy nodded at Sue, "Get the good stuff. My friend needs a drink."

Bella wished for a second she wasn't about to nurse the baby. She needed the good stuff too, but she took another deep breath before confessing. "Because, I ran off to Italy to save Edward when I was living with you. All the Cullens are vampires actually. They're a little different, but vampires just the same and I was this close to being one." She pinched her finger super close to her thumb without letting them touch. "I'm so sorry. Do you want to hear the rest?"

Charlie took a shot and made a loud, "ahhh" sound along with an anguished expression like the alcohol burned his throat. She had no idea what he was drinking, but Sue poured it from a generic jug. It didn't even have a label. "The rest, of course, you better tell me all of it, because you can't leave me hanging, kiddo. I'm already confused as hell because it sounds like you married a vampire willingly and that can't be right. If Jake and Billy knew, why didn't they stop you or tell me? I'm waiting on one of you to start laughing and tell me it's all a sick joke. Maybe it's a book you read, and that's where you got the idea. How can any of this be real?" He tapped Billy on the shoulder, "I mean, help a man out, brother. We're practically family." Sue and Billy looked at each other, then at her. Charlie held out his glass and Sue filled it again.

Bella started talking and she started spilling her guts. Charlie drank. She cried. Sometimes he yelled, but by the time Atticus needed her, the truth was all out there. She was glad he was probably too inebriated to keep grilling her. Sue assured Bella she'd take care of him and that all would be better the next day. He needed a little time to let it soak in.

* * *

Paul came back and Bella followed them back to the little red house which wasn't quite as little, but she was happy it was still the same color and that it still felt like a second home.

She didn't want to disrupt everyone, but Rachel insisted on putting Bella and Atticus in Jake's old room. It was still a small room but had been opened up a bit. There was a double bed and a dark wooden chest of drawers and a single chair close to the window Bella saw a few pairs of jeans tossed over the back of the chair. Someone slept in there recently. Rachel insisted on putting fresh sheets while Bella fed the baby. Jacob's sister chatted with her while she worked on the bed and the portable crib.

"Awe, I miss those days. They go by so fast. Enjoy him tiny while you can."

Bella asked if Paul was serious, "Do you want more?"

"I don't know, I'm not closing the door on it permanently. It's kinda nice them taking care of themselves a little. Oh and sleep, I like sleeping."

"Yeah, I've forgotten what it's like to get a full night's sleep."

"Don't worry in four or five years, you'll be there again. Sage wet the bed for years, and Willow had nightmares and is still a bit of a sleepwalker. Even after the baby stage passes, they still find ways to wake me up. Hopefully, my nephew will take it easy on you and you get more rest sooner than I did." Rachel paused, "unless you have another one."

Bella wasn't sure how to respond. She probably would not be having another one anytime soon or ever. She didn't even date and that would be a huge decision that she never would be so careless about again. She loved her son so much and was thankful to have him, but she certainly didn't think it through or plan for him.

Atticus was soon sound asleep. Rachel said she was about to enjoy possibly the last night with her husband for a while. "He'll be sleeping outdoors again when it happens, then on patrols. I'll miss him."

"I'm so sorry, Rach. You wives must secretly resent me."

"No, I was mad at first, but I was more frustrated at Jake when he married the debutante knowing full well you were alive. We didn't find out about everything until a month after the wedding. He's a stupid shit, if you haven't noticed."

She had, but Bella didn't say anything other than to ask more about Rachel's opinion of Kaleigh. "Do you not like her?"

"Well, in the beginning, she wasn't so bad. I never hated her, but the truth is, I never much liked her for Jake. She wanted to change him. I could see it from the start. Listen, I ended up with an unlikely partner. He was not an ideal mate considering the types I usually went for."

"Paul seems pretty different than I remember."

"He is, but he's also still the same many ways. First of all, I did not tell him he had to change. That's what makes up work. He made the changes he wanted to make after I accepted him for who he was. He's a good man and an excellent father. He still is moody and some days, I want to smack him with a frying pan, but we respect each other. I consider myself lucky and the day we imprinted, let me tell you, I cried a river feeling like the most unlucky woman on earth. What the hell did the spirits know? They were wrong."

Bella went silent as soon as the conversation turned to imprinting. The topic always made her uncomfortable. "Well, I should get to sleep. Thanks, Rachel."

She hugged her and told her to give a shout out if she needed anything. "Bella, everything's going to be fine. I promise. One other thing, those spirits I cursed."

"Yeah."

"They might have a weird sense of humor, but they were right. They always are."

* * *

Bella tossed and turned despite her extreme fatigue. It had been such a long day, but she swore it took almost two hours to fall asleep. She woke up sometime later to Jacob standing close to the pack n play. He was telling Atticus how much he loved him.

"Jake... "

"Shh, s'okay Bells. He's still asleep. Sorry I woke you."

She pushed up on her arm. "Is everything alright?"

"For now. Sam told me to get a little sleep."

"Is he?"

"No, he's got the fever, but he says he can make it until morning and Seth and Collin are asleep close by. They're doing great. It's so much easier the second time, especially when the alpha's there to tell them what to do or not to do."

She saw he had something in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep here on the floor by Ace."

"Why? That doesn't sound very comfortable."

"Please, Bells. I won't bother either of you, but since you took Emb's room, he's on the couch. There's no other spot unless I want to sleep in the forest and I'll be doing plenty of that for the next few days."

She didn't know why Embry was living there, but they both needed sleep, so she'd asked questions in the morning. It felt odd for Jacob to be sleeping on the floor in the same room as her. She couldn't imagine what Kaleigh would say if she ever found out. What did she think happened to them and what would he tell her if he had to stay on the reservation for a long time? It wasn't her problem, she was Jacob's wife, but Bella couldn't shut her mind off thinking of all these things. She was worried about all the guys even though Jacob said it wasn't as bad the second time. She kept picturing her father's face as she described her mistakes with Edward. A few more anxiety filled minutes passed and she decided to take a peek to see if Jacob was actually out.

Jacob didn't have any trouble going to sleep. Bella leaned over the side of the bed and watched him. Rachel gave her a small nightlight since she wasn't familiar with the room at night, in case she got up with Atticus. The glow clearly shone across his face. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, no worry lines or grimaces. His features were soft and she swore he appeared years younger, almost like he did as a teenager.

Bella rolled back over. She suddenly found sleep in her grasp. She had no idea how calming his presence would be after all they'd been through in such a short period of time. She was sure they weren't asleep even an hour before Jacob started sleep talking. That was usually her issue or so she'd been told. He was clearly distraught. It was mostly mumbles, but eventually Jake clearly said her name. She was worried if he got any louder, he might wake the baby.

She pulled back the covers and got on the floor next to him. "Jake... " Bella shook him. "Wake up, you're having a bad dream."

"Bells. Bella, no."

"Jake, I'm right here. It's okay." That's when he grabbed her and pulled her tight against him. She struggled. His grip only got tighter. "Need to breathe, Jake. Ease up."

He finally started to come around some. Sleeping on the floor was nonsense. She felt like they were on a solid piece of wood. Bella pulled away, he kept trying to pull her back. "No, come on. You can't sleep properly down on the floor."

He obeyed. She didn't put any thought into her requests. Bella assumed they were both adults, equally exhausted. It was a double bed. He was large, but she could scoot close to the wall. They didn't even need to touch. She really just wanted him to get a few hours of sound sleep.

That's not what happened. As soon as she pulled covers back over them, she tried to get to that opposite side, but Jacob grabbed her again. He was still saying things that didn't make too much sense. Could he have gotten off the floor and into the bed without waking up?

Jacob was only one man, but he was everywhere. He was all over her. She felt his hands in her hair and then down her back. He squeezed her again until she was winding her legs with his. He buried his nose into her neck. "Don't leave me."

She couldn't leave even if she tried, but she didn't think he only meant that second. She answered. "I won't. I'm right here."

"Bella, he had you. I can't ever let him get to you."

Oh, so he was dreaming about Aro. No wonder, he was so worked up.

"It's just a nightmare. I'm here. Atticus and I are safe because you protect us."

She felt wetness against her skin. He was crying. "I can't lose you, I can't lose our kids. Bells, I know I'm a jackass and I have made a giant mess of all our lives, but I'll die if anything happens to you and the kids."

She wanted to correct him and remind him Atticus was their only child, but he was probably delirious from the ordeal with the pack and the nightmare. She had no idea why it was so easy to promise him, it made no sense if he was married to another woman, but Bella massaged his scalp with her fingers and ran them through his hair. All the while, she whispered over and over until he fell back to sleep. "I'll never leave you. I promise."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **"You put your arms around me and I'm home" Check out those lyrics if you get the chance.**_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Secrets We Keep

Bella felt safe and warm. She hated to move, but Atticus was kicking his feet. She heard him making sucking noises. He probably had the side of his hand in his mouth. She knew he was only seconds from crying if she didn't grab him. The room was still dark, she didn't want him waking up the entire house. She wanted to get out of Jacob's snug embrace without waking him if she could. She squirmed and wiggled until she was free. She picked up Atticus, took him to the foot of the bed for a super fast diaper change.

Bella was ready to sit back in the chair where she fed him earlier. However, the room had a chill. Her son was like her, he didn't like to be cold. She could cover him with a blanket, but that bed was so toasty. She already missed it or him if she was completely honest with herself. It was wrong to put herself in that position with Jacob, but she couldn't help herself. Kaleigh could have him next to her anytime. She doubted there would ever be another opportunity. It wasn't like they were going to do anything, so she justified her actions. It might make her feel worse in the end, but she only wanted to pretend at least once, they were a real family.

Bella decided to take their son to bed with them. If she was lucky, the baby might doze a little more and she could sleep an extra hour. Bella got back on her side and let Atticus nurse, Jacob's arm found her again. She wasn't sure if he even knew she'd left the bed briefly. She was right, he was still sleepy. Atticus only fed for a little while before knocking back off. She cuddled next to him as Jacob cuddled into her back. The little family she yearned for slept soundly for the next hour like that's how they were always meant to be.

* * *

Bella had learned to basically care for her child in her sleep. She forgot he woke up again and that she'd lifted her shirt to give him access to her boobs. She was so blissful in her rest, the deep voice in her ear made her jump.

"What's all that slurping and smacking over there? Is he a baby or a little piglet?"

Before she could adjust herself or cover up, she saw Jacob's wide eyes peeking over her side. Atticus was nursing and his father was staring and Bella was in shock she was completely exposed. Neither of them batted an eye. He actually leaned in for a closer look, she felt his body press against her. Certain parts of Jacob were wide awake and she couldn't hide a gasp. He adjusted the blanket in between them so maybe she wouldn't notice it, but too late, she was already fully aware.

Bella started trying to hide some skin, but his hand came up and grabbed hers. "Don't, I missed him growing inside your body. Can I please see you feed my son? I think it's amazing. It's beautiful." She swallowed hard. The only person that had watched her breastfeed up close was the nurse in the hospital that taught her how to do it. Jacob stuck his finger in front of Atticus and he grabbed on with his tiny fist. He kept his arm draped over her so their son could keep hold of him. Bella could feel Jacob breathing heavy in her ear. He was so warm and they both appeared completely content curled against her. She also felt his breath on her bare skin. A chill ran down her back even though she wasn't the least bit cold.

They stayed like that for a long time until she knew her son drained her supply on that side. She needed to sit up, let him burp, probably feed him from the other one. She wasn't brave enough to face Jacob. It was one thing if he watched over her shoulder, but looking into his face would expose her in more ways than one. Bella couldn't get over how intimate the whole situation was pretty much from the moment she pulled him into bed with her.

He got the hint. "How about I give you two some privacy. I need a shower, a few minutes to feel human before I go wolf for God knows how long." Jacob kissed her temple which caught her by surprise. "Thanks for taking such good care of our son." He said she could get up whenever she was ready, that Rachel was planning on making a big breakfast. "She tries but she can't cook like you can, so you might want to help her out."

She turned her head, too afraid to look when he got out of the bed. Bella couldn't believe she'd slept with him the way she was dressed and how barely dressed he was. They hadn't thought any of it through, from him coming in the room to her pulling him in the bed. That thing she felt against her backside was just a male reflex, she was sure his morning excitement didn't mean anything. However, Bella probably should go to her father's tonight since their blurred lines were starting to get erased completely.

* * *

Bella and Rachel had the kitchen under control. She was surprised that Jacob actually came back inside to eat. No one said anything, but she swore they all knew he slept in the same room as her. What were they thinking? She was a shameless hussy that slept with a married man, perhaps. Did they know they were in bed together, that she showed off her tits? She avoided making eye contact with Jacob or anyone else, she was being ridiculous. The door was closed the entire time, so she was pretty sure no one knew anything.

Rachel made a big plate for Jacob. She asked how much longer until Seth and Collin could come around for meals or be around people.

"Not sure, Seth's changed back twice. I'm hoping to get Collin to do so this morning, but now Sam's probably less than a couple of hours away." They were all crowded around the custom table Jared built for them. Jacob looked at Paul and Embry. "What about you two? Any aches, pains, fever?"

Paul chewed on a piece of bacon, "Not me bro, I'm right as rain. Maybe you don't need all of us anyway. Remind me once more, why are we all turning our lives upside down for this one? She left us." Paul pointed straight at Bella.

Rachel slapped him. "Paul."

Now he was back. That's the Paul she remembered. He was far too nice the night before. It was almost satirical.

Jacob dropped his utensils loudly on his plate. "Don't start with me, Lahote."

"Don't start what? Speak my mind in my own house? Because you left, this is my house now. Isn't that right Embry? Why don't you tell Jake what you told me last night, that you weren't sure about phasing just because he says so." Apparently, he'd given the direct order when they all had that brief meeting last night. "You, practically abandoned us all, almost as bad as the leech lover over there. Maybe worse."

Billy looked at Rachel. Were they all waiting for her to shut her husband up? Even his small children were staring.

Embry spoke up. "That's not what I said. You're twisting my words. Knock it off. I had enough of this crap last night."

Jacob stood up. "I think both of you need to come outside with me right now."

Embry went for the biscuits and ignored him. Bella literally had no idea what was going on. They were having a peaceful breakfast and now the mood was turning sour before her eyes.

Paul listened and stood up. He seemed eager to follow Jacob, but Embry didn't budge.

"Get up, Embry."

"Man, fuck off." Sage and Willow covered their ears. Rachel told them to go to their rooms, but everyone was frozen in place. "I will not follow you. Not this time." He looked up then and finished, "because you have no honor. We all know the whole story, but I bet the two women you string along don't. I told you to leave Kaleigh alone. She's a good person."

Rachel was eager to intervene and remind them all Kaleigh was no innocent victim. She clung to Jacob when it was obvious he had a troubled history and hadn't completely moved on.

Embry told her to shut up, that she was just jealous.

"How dare you, jealous of what, a snooty bitch that was never right for Jake? She practically holds him captive in Seattle, doesn't want him to visit. It's all about her friends, her family."

Paul lost his amused demeanor quickly. He didn't appreciate the way Emb was speaking to Rachel. He and Jacob both walked closer to Embry. "You heard the alpha, take it outdoors. My kids are watching."

Embry stood up, finally. Bella felt like she was holding her breath. "Where's your wife, Jake?"

"Not that it's any of your concern, but she's with family and friends. Two of the Cullens are watching out."

"Oh, so she gets bloodsuckers that you don't even fully trust, but Bella gets an entire pack. Why is that?"

"Shut up, Call. Either you walk outside right now or I drag your ass out."

"I'm sorry Bella, I truly don't mean this against you, but even you should see how fucked up this is."

"Embry, I'm sorry. I know everyone's stressed."

"Is that why you and Jake think it's okay to sleep together, because of stress. Is that a good enough excuse to give his wife? He told her he wanted to stay married. Jake's a liar. Everyone needs to know that."

"Embry, enough," was uttered from Billy's lips.

"Whatever, he comes by it honestly... lying, that is. Isn't that right, Billy?"

That was all Jacob was going to stand for. He did just as he threatened. He grabbed Embry by the back of the neck and started dragging. Of course, Embry fought back. The rest was a blur. A few chairs got knocked over, a glass of juice spilled on the table. Atticus started crying. Rachel was screaming for them to stop. They barely made it out the door. The whole family watched out the window as Embry and Jacob started a very brutal fight with their fists.

Rachel cried to Paul who was now laughing, "Stop them, you idiot. Jake's too strong, he'll hurt him."

"Relax baby. This needed to happen. Brilliant, wasn't it? You can thank me later." He winked. "If you know what I mean?"

Bella was consumed with confusion first, then anger. She handed the baby over to his grandfather. She shoved Paul the next second. "Why did you do that? You baited Embry! Why would you push them into a fight? Isn't there enough shit going on around here?" Why was there such bad blood between Embry and Jacob? She was pretty sure she was missing some pieces to the puzzle, since they were best friends when she used to live around them.

Sage clapped his hands. "Go, Uncle Jake. Teach him a lesson."

Willow cried, "No! Uncle Embry's nice. Uncle Jake's a big meany. Daddy are you going to fight too? Please don't fight."

The next thing Bella knew, Sage was screaming again, "Wolves. My uncles are wolves. Daddy, are you a wolf?" Bella looked outside to the yard and sure enough, they'd phased. The fight resumed and was now so brutal, Rachel pulled her children away from the carnage. Even Bella shielded her eyes.

Paul looked at Rachel and apologized. He had remorse in his eyes, but he also had something else there. Bella was tempted to slap him like old times, but she grabbed his arm. "Go, you started it. No watching from the sidelines."

"Damn Swan, you're too much trouble, same as before. Remind me again why we're doing this."

Bella shoved him out the door. Of course, he was letting her manhandle him. She wasn't sure why. "Because, I'm the mother of the alpha's son, so get outside and fucking phase so you can protect us."

Paul transformed before he ever made it off the porch and Bella felt a surge of power like she'd never experienced. The whole damn pack phased. She knew it. Don't ask her how because she had no idea where Quil, Jared and Brady were right then, but she knew without a doubt, they all phased again.

* * *

Bella inhaled the moist sea air deep into her lungs. It's true what they say, a smell can bring back a memory quicker than anything else. At the moment, her mind was flooded with them. The morning was full of the unexpected. She and Rachel tried to pretend everything was perfectly normal for the sake of the children. After cleaning up breakfast and fielding a million and one questions from Sage and Willow, Rachel suggested a walk.

"What do you say, Bella? My nephew needs to explore the land of his people. Hey kids, you wanna go down to the shore and collect shells?"

Sage asked if they could swim, but Rachel said no way, the water was too cold. "We're not going to get wet, are we clear?"

"Yes Mommy."

Bella laughed when she saw how wet Rachel and Paul's son had gotten. Emily's boy was just as bad. All the girls were satisfied playing on a large quilt. They had a plenty of things in a bag to entertain themselves without disobeying their mothers like the boys had.

Kim was the last to show up, she had picked up Claire before stopping by. Bella was formally introduced to her when they sat down. Claire peeked in the stroller. "Awe, he's so cute. Can I hold him when he wakes up?"

"Of course, you've grown so much." Bella remembered seeing a glimpse of her once or twice. The whole situation made her uneasy. "You're such a lovely young lady now, Claire. How have you been?"

Claire was proud to inform Bella she was officially a teenager since celebrating her birthday the month before. She also held out her wrist in front of her to reveal her favorite gift. "That's lovely."

"It's from Aunt Kim's nephew. Don't tell Quil, okay, but Zane is my boyfriend."

"Wow, a boyfriend at your age, you're way ahead of the game." Bella giggled. Claire was even ahead of her as far as dating. "Why can't we tell Quil?" She knew Quil and Claire's imprint was different than any of the others, but no one really explained what that meant.

"He's so embarrassing. Last year, a boy was visiting for the summer. He tried to talk to me. Quil found out and showed up at the beach one day when I was with all my friends. He told that boy a terrible story about tourists getting eaten by wolves on a regular basis plus a few other threatening words. He stopped talking to me. In fact, he stopped coming out at all."

Emily patted her niece's leg. "You were too young for boys, hun and you didn't tell Bella the whole story. That boy was older. He shouldn't have been sniffing around. Quil was only protecting you. That will never stop. Zane is a much better choice, he's your age and we all trust Jared and Kim to keep him in line."

Claire pouted like a typical teen. She folded her arms in front of her small bosom. "I still don't want him to know."

Emily wanted the scoop. "So what the hell happened over there?"

Rachel shook her head. "A bunch of craziness."

Kim said Jared ran out of the house so fast. She didn't have time to ask what was happening. "I thought it'd be gradual like Seth and Collin."

"Yeah, well, blame Paul. Nothing new there."

Bella had time to think about all that was said. "Yeah, but Embry was over the top. What happened to him anyway?"

The other ladies looked back and forth at each other, even Claire seemed to know something she didn't know. Rachel finally said, she truly believed it was Jacob's place to explain it.

Bella expressed her doubt, "Ha, that's a laugh. I guess I'll stay in the dark then. He's not very forth coming these days."

Kim noted another thing Bella didn't completely understand. "Hey, I just realized. This is a first. We're all together."

Bella didn't miss that Emily pinched Kim on her side. _We're._ Bella was missing something, maybe Jacob needed to tell her a few things, not just one thing about Embry's strange behavior. She was going to grill him whenever he wasn't stretched so thin.

Emily said Ryder was shivering from his wet clothes so she volunteered to take Sage with them, so they could get cleaned up and change into dry clothes. The ladies planned on getting together again later in the afternoon to make food. Bella paused for a minute while they were packing up. She suddenly got the feeling she was being watched. She squinted, struggling to see the tree line, but she was right. There he was, the wolf, with several other wolves behind him. She waved and the other women turned to see what she was waving at.

"The pack."

Claire jumped up and down, waving eagerly. "Hi Quilly!" She lowered her voice. "You don't think they can eavesdrop so far away, do you?"

Bella eased her mind. "Nope, I doubt it. Your secret is safe here, I'm sure."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Hang tight, a few more bumps coming up.**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**~A/N Special thanks to JSam1021 for giving me the song inspiration for this one. Seether's "Breakdown" PM's are welcome for song ideas, since I tend to write twice as fast with a good, relevant song in my ears.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 22: Break Me Down

(Pack chat in italics)

Jacob spoke to his pack.

 _They're heading home, come on. Let's get back to work. I let you see- your mates are fine._

The imprinted ones were driving him nuts to see their mates. None of them had switched back. It had only been a few hours since the massive phase at once. He spent most of the day literally whipping Embry into shape. He was thankful Brady, Seth and Collin took him for a long run to the north. Embry was stronger now. There was no doubt about the blood that ran through his veins, but Jacob was first born son. He was still no match for him. Paul was very much a pain in his ass like he remembered. His wolf thoughts were almost as bad when he ran his mouth.

 _Oh, yeah,_ _ **we**_ _wanted to see our mates. You're such a liar, Black. You wanted to see her just as much. Why are you still trying to carry out this charade? None of us are buying it. You're a shit actor, stick to designing buildings. I can see why Emb's mad seeing how he has an inappropriate crush on your wife._

Jacob's wolf growled and snapped at Paul, warning him, shut up or pay the price. He didn't know if it was jealousy, it didn't feel like it. He swore he was more angry that some of them would remind him about his wife when he was trying to focus on the task at hand only.

Kaleigh had already left him tons of angry texts and messages. He wouldn't be surprised if she'd already tossed all his belongings in the driveway. He managed one call with her early that morning. She didn't buy his excuse that Seth got sick and only wanted to see his mother, not a real doctor. Then he lied and said some of his other friends had the mysterious illness as well. He used the excuse he wasn't feeling so hot either, so he was just going to stay with his father until it passed. He didn't want to expose her to anything since she had some open houses and closings in the near future.

"But you'll expose that tiny baby? I find that hard to believe."

"Bella is taking care of Ace. He's fine, not around any of it."

"Yeah, I forgot, she's in Forks, not La Push like you, right?"

He was glad she couldn't see him when he lied through his teeth. "Yeah, Charlie's house is in town."

He changed the subject and asked how her bachelorette weekend was going. She said they were about to board the ferry to the San Juan Islands. They were staying over there Saturday and Sunday night. Monday was a holiday, but Jacob knew it still wouldn't be long enough. Kaleigh would be home and wonder why he wasn't. More shit, he'd put off and deal with later.

Quil chimed in, _Seriously, bro. Paul's right. Why are you hanging on with Kaleigh? You're not so great hiding your thoughts when you're stressed. We saw. We know how you feel about Bella. It's never gone away, I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say it's stronger._

 _Tell me about it. I never expected to get turned on by watching a pup feed, but she has a nice wrack._

Jacob snapped and grabbed Paul's tail in between his teeth. He couldn't believe he slipped and showed them that. He couldn't help it, he had all sorts of trouble not thinking about it constantly.

 _Wonder what would happen to your human ass if I bit your tail off?_

Quil said he was worried he was going to have a new fetish.

Jacob was loud and clear. _None of you fuckers think about Bella breastfeeding or her boobs ever again. We need to go practice, but if it will help your concentration, I'll tell you this much. I can't leave Kaleigh. It would be too cruel, especially right now. I can't erase an almost four year relationship because Bella decided to come out of hiding._ _I'm not that flaky._

They wanted to know what he meant by too cruel. He told him about Selene's cancer and how he was already guilty enough for the way he treated his wife. Jacob told them he was about ready to make a tentative decision that didn't exactly mean he was choosing Bella, but that he wouldn't drag Kaleigh along for the craziness any longer when she told him what she was going through and how much she relied on him.

 _That sucks, but are you sure it's not almost too convenient? Chicks sense when they're about to get dumped._

 _You honestly think she'd lie about cancer?_

The rest of the guys joined in. The quicker they stopped talking about Kaleigh in front of Embry, the better.

However, Embry still asked. _Who's lying? Besides Jacob, that is._

 _Enough Embry._

Jared told Embry what they'd all just learned. He immediately came to Kaleigh's defense. _No, way. She wouldn't lie about that. If Kaleigh said Selene's cancer is back, then it his._

Jacob wondered if it was possible for him to roll his wolf eyes. He honestly never knew his brother hung on every word Kaleigh said. The previous fight they had revealed several things to him. He always thought Embry was happy as a bachelor. He never lacked for female companionship, but he took an instant liking to Kay. He really didn't think she was Jacob's type when they were introduced soon after Jacob first met her. He was shocked that they started up something, now Jacob knew the whole truth, Embry was downright disappointed and he'd only gotten more bitter about it when he realized Bella wasn't really dead.

Jared had an idea. He remembered when he first phased and Kim made him visit the nursing home since her grandfather was bad off. _I smelled the death. He was clearly sick. He died three days later._

 _Yeah, Kay's mom is not much of a fan. She doesn't even do the family hug thing with me. I don't see myself getting a good sniff anytime soon._

He didn't admit that he tried at dinner. He wasn't completely oblivious to how irrational Kaleigh was being lately. He already wondered if she'd stoop so low. With all the family, food and the loads of wine being consumed, he couldn't smell much more than vino when got close to Selene, so his fears turned up inconclusive. He'd trust his wolf nose a whole lot more, but again, that was even less likely to happen.

They obviously didn't go around scenting ever single illness, blemish or defect. That would be painful and exhausting. He needed more time, but he still wanted to think the best of his wife. Jacob tended to agree with Embry for once, she wouldn't lie about something life or death.

* * *

Jacob was thankful Seth had a firm grip on the wolf. He worked with one group, Jake worked with the rest. He had Sam and Paul phasing back before nightfall. Once he replayed memories of how their former pack was, reminded them of their imprints, normal things, like children and family, it didn't take too long. He asked Sam to head back to the house with them. He figured there'd be some food by then. They weren't going inside, but hopefully he'd get a glimpse of Bella in the process. He's missed seeing her and he really missed holding Ace.

Jacob told Sam just before they got back home, that he couldn't abandon his life in Seattle. "Man, I can't quit this job. I'm going to need a second in command to be in charge of the res when I can't be here. It goes without saying who's best suited for the position."

"I'm honored and I'll help, but I can't be your beta."

Jacob originally thought Sam must be holding some type of old grudge since he was the original alpha. He thought they were past anything petty like that.

"But you have the most experience and the guys respect you. You're the man, the wolf for the job."

"Jake, if you order me, I'll do it, but the beta of this revived pack is someone else. I think you know who I'm referring to. Ephraim's grandsons should lead and the rest of us will follow."

"Hell to the loudest no. I can barely stand him right now and he practically hates me. Our friendship is shredded."

"No, it's not. You two keep each other in check. You need him and he gets you like no other."

Man, oh man. Sam was smarter than Jacob remembered because Jake knew what he was saying was true. As pissed as they were at each other, he would still put his life in Embry's hands without question. Jacob probably trusted Embry more than he trusted him currently. He dreaded another fight, but it was inevitable. When he told Embry he was beta, he'd probably start shit and Jacob would have to whip him into submission. Damn, it was going to be a long night.

Emily and Rachel brought out a large box of food. Emily asked permission as she eyed her husband off in the distance. Jacob trusted Sam if he trusted himself. He met her halfway, grabbed his wife and took her to the side of the house for a few minutes of privacy.

Rachel was pouty, "When can I see my husband?"

"Soon, Rach. He's doing really good except for that big mouth of his."

"That's my man. He's not taking shit off you, right?"

"Whatever, um... " he tried to look around her through the open door.

Rachel noticed. "She's bathing Atticus, then she said she was going to turn in early. She wanted to go to Charlie's but then again, she didn't. It's obvious she's torn and whose fault is that? Do you want to go in for a minute?"

He knew what Rach was saying was true, but how could he even begin to explain what was happening with the emergence of the pack. "Naw, I need to get back with this grub. They're starving. No one wants to hunt for food and Quil said he's ready to eat tree bark. Thanks. Tell her I said hey."

"Wait. Bella's really fitting in well. I'm sure you noticed and I think she senses something. I mean it, brother. You can still repair some of the damage. Why don't you tell her everything?"

"I've got to go, bye sis."

"Dammit, Jake. Stop being so hard headed. You're only hurting yourself, Bella and subsequently your son."

He trotted off behind the house as fast as he could carrying the armful of food. He wished he could forget what his sister said. He wished a lot of other things he couldn't change.

* * *

He whistled for Sam before he got too far. The two of them took off to feed the others. Once Jacob scarfed down his food, he went off to the side to make a few important calls. He had to plan ahead for the next week. Collin already asked if he would allow Bella to open his clinic up Tuesday, but he didn't feel comfortable going back for a few more days. She was going to need added protection. There was also another problem Bella kept from him, but he saw a place on Ace's arm when Bella was feeding him early that morning. His son had been the victim of assault at that over crowded daycare. He knew it was bullshit his area had kids all the way up to fifteen months. One of those rabid kids bit his son. He was sure of it. He couldn't wait to hear her excuse. There was no way he was going back to the daycare. That meant she needed someone they could trust to watch him.

Jacob spent a good hour on the phone making necessary calls. He sent Kaleigh a text and hoped that would satisfy her. She seemed to be enjoying her night out with her friends that she was over being mad at him for the time being or so it seemed until her drunk texts started flooding his phone. None of them were flattering or civil, but he kinda deserved it.

Jacob was happy to store his phone with the clothes. Emily came to the rescue after the beach and left them all a big box of shorts in the old spot. She even added everyone's cell phones so they could keep in contact with their wives since it was way too soon to go home.

The pack trained for hours until they were all dead on their feet. Jake decided to head inside about five in the morning. The guys bitched and moaned about why did he get the comfort of a shower and a real bed.

"Because I'm the boss and I've been doing this shit for over a year. Signal if there's any problems." Embry never made eye contact, but Jacob was talking directly to him. He was the beta and he was right when he told Sam that his brother would have issues with it. When he finished up training, Jacob gave him the news and Embry didn't take the order with ease. They'd just had another round in the ring. He couldn't wait to wash the stink, dried blood and earth off his skin.

* * *

The couch was free this time, but there was only one place he wanted to sleep after a twenty-one hour day. He checked on their son first. He was sleeping like an angel in the baby bed in the corner of the room. Bella was out of it this time. She didn't move from her spot in the middle of the bed. Jacob slid in between the sheets, scooting her over in the process, but then she was too far away once she rolled over. He moved in behind her. He leaned into her to smell that mark. Now that the guys all phased again, his days were limited with that being a secret. He specifically told Sam he didn't mark her. He truly believed he didn't, but the wolf scrambled his brains and he didn't realize what he was actually doing.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself, but Jacob felt a sort of satisfaction ever since he discovered it. He wrapped his arm tight across her stomach. She stirred slightly, "Rest, Bells. I've got to sleep a little bit." She mumbled and drifted right back to sleep.

Jacob opened his eyes and felt in front of him. The bed was empty. He sat up, wiping his eyes. She was right there in the chair staring at him. She'd changed into clothes and her hair was wet. How'd he sleep through all that? He looked to the other side of the room.

"He's already been up and back to bed."

"Really."

Bella told him being off schedule caught up with him and that Ace barely slept last night. Jacob didn't understand how being extra tired made him cranky, but she said that's how babies were. His son kept her up and when he came to bed, she hadn't even been sound asleep an hour.

"Then come back to bed."

"I should go help Rachel."

"She's used to running the house here and I bet she got a lot more sleep than you. It's okay." He patted the bed.

Bella climbed onto the bed but didn't get under the covers with him. She stayed sitting with her legs crossed in front of her. "Embry's not out there."

"I know."

"The couch was open."

"Yeah, but I prefer being in here."

"I don't think you should be." He knew he shouldn't be either, but he merely shrugged and didn't respond. "What was all that yesterday? What the hell happened to Embry? Is he really this mad about phasing again? I thought you were best friends."

Jacob was sitting all the way up with the sheet pooled in his lap. It didn't escape his attention Bella was forcing herself not to look at him. He told her he needed to tell her something important.

"I figured."

"Embry's my brother."

"They all are."

"No, Bells, not in the brotherhood sense because of the pack. He's actually my flesh and blood half brother, Billy Black's other son."

She covered her mouth.

"Yeah, it was a shocker to us as well."

"How long have you known?"

Jacob told her how senior year of high school, his dad got to drinking with Charlie and Old Quil and got all sentimental about his sons.

"He knew the whole time?"

Jacob told her his father was feeling lonely, so he stormed out of the house one night and ended up drinking with Tiffany Call. His mother was a few months pregnant. "Apparently, it wasn't an easy pregnancy and she couldn't... you know, take care of his needs or something like that. She worried a few times she was miscarrying. I don't know all the details, but that's what I meant the day I said he wasn't a saint. It's pretty crappy to cheat on your pregnant wife. It was a huge mess when we all found out."

"I can imagine. Did Sarah ever know?"

"I don't think so and he never wanted her family to know after she passed. He didn't want to bring shame to any of us. I think he was protecting his own ass if you ask me, but when he realized Embry existed, he helped support him financially in return for her silence."

Jacob and Bella talked about how that was only a portion of being a father.

"Not that I didn't get it before, but I think I understand even better your need to be so involved with Atticus."

"Bells, he's everything. I love him so much. He'll never question that."

Of course, Embry had the right to be resentful. He had his own resentments. It wasn't Embry's fault, but Jacob had a tough childhood too. He hated his mother had been treated that way, but damn, if he didn't screw around on his wife as well. She wasn't technically his wife that night, but practically so.

So much rested on Jake's shoulders at a young age. He helped his father in every way, even doing odd jobs before he could legally be employed. His father was trying to provide for two families when he didn't make that much in the first place. Then there was Embry, without a father at all, so it seemed.

"So you and Embry have been at odds all this time?"

"Nope, not at all. We all got through it, were closer than ever, accepted each other as family. As you know, Embry lives here now. We've all come a long way, even our relationships with Dad. Rach and Becca are close to Emb now. However, this past year, when he found out you were alive and I still married Kaleigh, he and I drifted apart again."

"Because of me."

"Jeez, woman, how many times you going to take credit for every problem on earth? It's more me than you, plus it doesn't help that Embry has a little crush on Kay."

"Really? That seems ironic since you all suffered emotional harm by Billy's infidelity."

"Well, I don't suspect he'd act on it. He doesn't approve how I'm handling things because he genuinely cares about her, but that doesn't give him an excuse to talk to you the way he did. I hate the way he piled on all that stress right in front of the kids, my son included. He was way out of line. That was all shit we needed to hammer out in private."

Bella came closer, he grabbed her hand. "Everyone's been through a lot, so did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Fix things with your brother."

"We have an understanding." Bella frowned. She didn't like being in the dark. He could tell.

Jacob really should confess a few more secrets, but he just wanted to spend those last few minutes of the morning staring a her, feeling close to her. He liked when they could be together and not speak, but still understand each other. As soon as he walked out of the house, he'd be bombarded again with questions and various other challenges. Maybe she would lie down and just be still with him.

"You fought with him as a wolf too."

"I fought with him all damn day, it felt like." Jacob turned his head.

Bella reached out and touched his neck. "My gosh that's brutal. Why hasn't it healed?"

"It has a bunch. You should have seen it before I got in the shower earlier? Take my word for it, the other guy looks much worse."

"Don't hurt him."

"I won't... not permanently. The damage we inflict on each other always take the longest to heal from. Good thing, we usually aren't fighting one another." He couldn't take another second of being separated from her. Being back in La Push, phasing in with the pack, watching her assume her role as the alpha female was drawing him closer to his imprint. Jacob needed her in order to obtain the strength he needed for another tiresome day.

He pulled Bella closer, she stiffened. "Come on, Bells. Get a little more rest. You don't have to push yourself so much. Think of this as a vacation."

He fell back to the bed and pulled her down with him. "Jake, please don't."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear. He really needed to get up anyway. "I'm sorry. I just needed to hold you for a minute."

Bella squirmed until he loosened his grip. "Why? Barry's right, we're a walking talking contradiction." Jacob stared at her. He was pretty sure he knew what she meant. "I can't stand you most of the time anymore, but then we have moments like yesterday and I never want to be away from you. I can't do this anymore, Jake. It makes my head hurt."

"Bells... "

She wiped at her face and reminded him they hadn't talked about that night one single time. If it wasn't for the baby napping on the other side of the room, she would have thought it didn't actually happen, but was her vivid imagination. "What was that, huh? You wanted to test me out, prove a point, break my heart like I broke yours?"

Jacob felt a renewed sense of shame and regret. "No, it was none of those things to me, just the opposite, it was the purest, most perfect night of my life." He brushed the few tears that followed that statement from her face. They were spread out on Embry's bed together. Embry, who he would have to fight like hell to earn respect back from would know if one single discrepancy occurred in that room. Jacob was walking a thin line.

Bella didn't look convinced by his declaration. "Then what was the morning after?"

"The worst decision I ever made, no wait, let me clarify, it was the second worst. I told you, I regretted what I said. I know now, I didn't mean it. I have tons of regrets actually."

She stopped pushing him away at arm's length and he gradually made his way towards her. Bella halted him from getting his mouth too close with her hand on his chest. She shook her head side to side. "I can't. I won't be your other woman, your side chick, a mistress, the baby Momma with benefits. You said you were committed to your marriage."

 _Baby Momma,_ was she serious? He'd never think that with regards to her. Jacob, honestly didn't know what else to do, but shut his eyes, so he couldn't see the pain in her eyes, pain he'd put there. He took a few deep breaths, and let her scent, along with their son's scent move through him for one more second of tranquility. Then Jacob did the only thing he should do, he let go of her and he left them.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Whew, you don't know how tough this was for me. I was so close to almost getting sappy, but I reigned it in. If you're like me and you hate yourself for loving that tender moment between them when Bella fed Atticus, then you should understand why she had to push him away this time.**_

 _ **Obviously, this is a hectic week. I can't make any promises for posting, but I'll try not to leave you hanging too long.**_


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Proof Was Always There

Bella tried to stay in the conversation, but her mind kept wandering. She was waiting for her father to get off work and come over. She wanted to drive to Forks herself, but he said to wait on him so he could help her.

"You sure you wanna go?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, I never intended to stay here so long. Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed getting to know you and the kids better and it was important for Billy to spend time with Atticus."

"Well, did you leave a message for Jake? I know the guys are checking their phones now. Paul's been texting me quite a bit."

Rachel argued that Bella knew how it was, that she needed a protector, but she simply shrugged it off.

"He's expecting me to go to Charlie's. I'm sure of that."

Bella agreed to stay long enough to make sack lunches to last the rest of the day. Emily, Claire and Kim joined in. Claire baked Quil's favorite brownies. Kim shopped and picked up high fuel, easy to grab and go snacks to add to the bags. She was happy for the distraction, so she wouldn't replay what transpired between them in the bedroom earlier, over and over.

Nothing worked, Bella wasn't paying attention and knocked over a jar of pickles. Glass broke and scattered in all directions, a sour smell filled the room and she succeeded in destroying five dollars worth of pickles for their sandwiches.

Kim rushed to her side. "Let me get that."

"I'm sorry, Kim. I'll pay you back. I owe you for part of these groceries anyway."

Kim insisted she didn't and then the realization was painfully clear. These ladies were providing for their mates, or in young Claire's case, her imprint. They had a vested interest. Why was she even there? She was more or less an outsider, she told herself. Bella couldn't wait to get out of there even though they'd all treated her kindly.

Kim was a perfect example, leaning down to the floor to clean up her mess, taking a risk of getting glass embedded in her skin. That's when she saw it, Bella tossed down a towel over the green liquid and stepped in closer. Kim's loose top fell off her shoulder to reveal a very distinct scar on her upper back.

Bella reached for it, gently brushing her fingertips over the mark. Her own shoulder tingled as she did so. Kim jumped and stood quickly. "What is that?"

"Um, you haven't heard all the legends, have you?"

"No, I'm sure I haven't. I feel in the dark 90% of the time." Rachel had a blank expression. Emily and Claire ceased their conversation. Bella lost her manners, she rushed to Emily first and inspected her neck and shoulders, but found nothing. She stared at Claire a second, but changed her mind. He wouldn't have touched that child in such a way. She walked towards Rachel next, who voluntarily turned around and pulled off her long sleeved top in front of her. She had a spaghetti strap tank underneath. Bella could actually see Rachel's scar in great detail.

Jacob's sister gave her the go ahead. "You can touch it. In fact, you're one of the only people I will ever say that to."

She circled her finger around the ring of what she knew were teeth impressions. Bella could tell the differences in Kim, Rachel's and her own. No two were exactly alike. Hers was smaller and not as vivid, but they were all in the exact same spot. She felt some type of sensations in hers whenever she touched the other ones like they were connected telepathically.

Bella questioned Emily with her eyes. "Sam, said he'd never intentionally scar me. I already wore his mark in a sense."

"Mark?"

Rachel pulled her over to the table while Kim cleared up the rest of the mess. "Hun, it's a mating mark."

Bella didn't feel so well all of the sudden. She felt like all the blood drained from her face. Claire jumped up and made her a glass of water. Should a thirteen even be listening to this conversation? Claire brushed her hair from her face and sat the glass in front of her.

"I know all about this stuff. Quilly is like my brother. Aunt Emily and I are proof imprints don't have to be marked. There's different types of love, you know?"

Bella did know that or at least she thought she understood something about love. She slowly sipped her water before she got the courage to ask. "What else does the mark mean?"

Kim and Rachel took turns explaining what it meant to each of them. Emily chimed in some, explaining how sometimes she wished she had one as well, but most of the time she was content her bond with Sam was just as strong without one. Bella could tell it was a huge commitment and each couple had discussed it at length before going through with it. She really wished she could hear from the guys' perspective. What did the mark mean to them?

Kim added one other piece of information. "I think because the guys have a possessive nature that they never completely give up whether they're phasing or not, it means something to give yourself completely to them. I know in traditional relationships there are no guarantees, but I fully accept the imprint and I never had qualms about erasing the possibility of being with another."

Bella had been staring at her hands wrapped around the cool glass. She looked up abruptly to stop Kim. "Excuse me, what?"

Rachel elaborated what Old Quil had counseled them on. The mark bound them to the wolf on a whole new level. They couldn't be with another, intimately... ever. Bella asked a whole lot more questions. "What if the wolf died in a horrible accident? Does this bond exist as strongly when the wolf stopped phasing? Can he be with someone else?"

"Honey, I'm not sure how to answer all those questions. You should really visit with Old Quil and Billy if you want to know more. Kim and I were eager to accept it for what it was, total commitment. I can speak for myself, I never dug deeper. Tell me, Bella. Why is this bothering you so much?"

She tried to compose herself, but she was already a sniveling mess, "It's permanent, but there has to be a way to undo it." All four of them shook their heads side to side.

* * *

She couldn't stay there any longer. She had to go. She had to know the truth. How nice for Rachel and Kim to be fully informed on everything that happened to them. Even Claire knew all that the imprint signified. She was only thirteen and had a firm grip on her bond to Quil.

Bella wasn't thinking clearly, she slipped on her shoes, quickly pulled a jacket on and grabbed her keys. She only remembered after the cool wind hit her face at the door. "Oh, Atticus."

"We'll watch him, but I think you should wait or let one of us drive you. You're too upset to drive right now."

"No, I have to go alone. He'll be up soon. I have milk in the freezer and bottles in his bag."

Emily told her they had babies once and knew exactly what to do. Rachel came to the door with her and hugged her from behind. She leaned in and rested her chin on Bella's shoulder. Bella held still as Rachel pulled the jacket and her shirt aside. Barry tried to touch it a few times and she felt like punching him. Jacob touched it and she wanted to rip her clothes off and mount him. When Rachel brushed over it, she felt herself calm down a little. Rachel even said, she wouldn't invite just anyone to touch hers. _We're all together._ Bella knew what that meant now, but it couldn't be. How was that possible?

Rachel kissed her cheek, "I'm so sorry you're hurting and confused, but we're here for you. We're sisters... all of us."

* * *

Millions of words floated inside her head, but one phrase stood out. She uttered it from her very own lips when they were making love, "Like I was made for you." The guys were so strange too, saying she had given orders and asking permission for things. Was it possible, this woman that held a master's degree, was easily the densest person on earth?

She didn't even think to ask any of the girls where they thought the guys were. Emily had been recently texting Sam. They were all in better control, so they weren't necessarily all in wolf form any longer. Bella stopped at a crossroads. She closed her eyes and concentrated. It was obvious where she needed to go. She could actually feel him. That's how deep the bond ran even though she'd never allowed herself time to test it. Bella assumed the pull worked both ways, so she was going to try and be sneaky about it, if that was possible. She parked a distance from the actual driveway and then tiptoed through the woods to come around Sue's house from behind. Jacob would never expect her to be in the woods, so hopefully he wouldn't sense her approach from the getgo. She stopped when she heard raised voices. They were out back on Sue's large deck. Two of them were arguing. She heard Quil's voice the loudest, then Jake's, so she stopped to listen.

"I just asked a simple question. How do you actually go through with the deed with your wife when Bella's right there? The wolf must try and gut you."

"That's none of your business, dumbass. I've never asked how you get it up for the ladies since Claire exists."

"That's comparing apples to oranges. Claire and I will never be connected that way, all of you know that." Bella heard Quil get very defensive when Jacob brought up Claire to him. He explained their imprint in a way she'd never heard before. He asked if any of them were aware, Claire had an older brother that died from crib death? Her mother suffered from serious depressive disorder. She had Claire hoping to fill the void, but it never fully worked the way she hoped. Claire was isolated and alone much of the time that she wasn't with Emily or Kim. "The spirits gave me to Claire. She needed someone like me. Ask Emily. She told me so a long time ago. The imprint serves a purpose here, but it will never be like the rest of you."

Jacob eventually answered. "The imprint always serves a purpose, did you ever allow yourself to think friend is just as important as brother and lover?"

The others laughed at his excuse. "Then why did you make your friend your lover and now you both share a son which only deepened the connection."

Embry was the next one to talk. "He won't answer you. You're wasting your breath. Jacob is selfish. He wants it both ways. He needs to feel normal, so he latched onto Kay, but he also wants his soulmate. He keeps them both in the dark because he'd be alone completely if the whole truth was revealed."

"Shut up, Emb. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then tell us. You want us to follow you, respect you, protect your family without question. I will do that, I will protect Bella and Atticus. That's my duty, but agreeing with all your choices was never part of the deal."

There was a brief pause in conversation, but Bella was pretty sure it was Sam that confirmed what she already knew no matter how much she tried to deny it on the drive over. "Jacob, I tend to agree with Embry. I do respect you, but you should tell Bella. It's been a decade. How in the hell have you denied the imprint so long? We wouldn't be in such a predicament right now if you'd been honest. Admit that. You owe us all for keeping your secret, but most of all, you owe her."

Bella's legs gave out on her, she crumbled to the ground. _Imprinting._ It petrified her, but now she was fully aware all her turmoil had been for nothing. He lied to her over and over. She'd asked him point blank once and he still said no in a round about way. Was it up to her to decipher his coded language all those years ago? She had no idea where to go next. She had it in her head, she was going to find him to give him a piece of her mind about this mark thingy, but she was reduced to a blubbering mess on ground. She only wanted to get up, make it back to her car, so she could grab her son and go. She had no particular place in mind, just anyplace that was far away from Jacob. Bella wished they could leave the reservation and never turn back.

* * *

He lifted her up, before she could protest. "Bells, what happened? Where's Ace? Why are you in the woods, crying?"

Bell opened her flooded eyes and looked around. Jacob was holding her like she was a small child. She saw the pack circled around them. They all looked equally concerned. She turned to look at Jacob in the eye. "I'm your imprint." He closed his eyes at first, but began to move his head up and down, slightly, "How could you do this to me?"

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Don't kill me for stopping right there, but admit it, it was a good place to pause. Next up, Jacob's confessions. Who's ready to listen and are you willing to forgive him? Will Bella?**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**~A/N Surprise, was not planning on having time today, but insomnia had other plans. Lots of back and forth dialogue between Jake and Bella, but I thought it was necessary for this one. Surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as stressful as the last chapter. I hope you find some moments of levity like I did.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas to those that celebrate.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 24: When Does Forever End

He wasn't sure if she fainted or was just overcome by shock and exhaustion. Jacob carried Bella inside Sue's. She helped him clear everyone out so it would just be the two of them. He panicked for a second, worried where Ace was, but Rachel sent a message about the time he walked in the house.

 **He's fine. Fix this. Take as long as you both need. Three moms, a grandpa and a teenage babysitter. He's in good hands.**

He wasn't sure how Bells found out, but one other text came through.

 **She saw Kim's mark...**

His mark, the one the wolf made without anyone's permission had come back to bite him in a figurative sense. He still believed telling her would not be in her best interest after delaying the confession so long... after everything that had transpired. That was no longer a relevant thought. She knew and he had to tell her all of it.

At first she stayed in his lap, but as she came around, she got fairly defensive, kicking her legs and swatting at him. "Let go of me." Jacob held his hands up in surrender and allowed her to move out of his lap to the opposite end of the couch. She looked around. "Where's everyone?"

"They're taking a run to give us some privacy. Sue went to Dad's to help out."

"Atticus."

"He's fine. Rachel sent a few texts."

"I'm not staying away from him very long, so start explaining... all of it."

"Bells, I'm sorry."

"No, I want details, not excuses. How did this happen and why didn't you tell me?"

"In the kitchen that night, right before the tick called. I'd just got you settled after that cliff dive fiasco. It should have happened the first time I saw you after the phase, but it didn't. I never told you what had already happened with Sam and Jared because you were still fragile and since we didn't, I worried what'd you think. He'd left. I promised I wouldn't. I needed you to believe in me."

"What changed? I mean, why then? It was out of order or something?"

"No idea, but maybe you were ready to trust me and you let go of his memory for those few brief moments. Bells, no one else agreed with my idea of holding onto the truth, but honestly at the time, would it have made a difference? If I'd given you a five minute rundown on what imprinting was and that we just experienced it, so you shouldn't follow the leeches, leave me or go to Italy, would you have stayed? I would have looked like I was pulling excuses out of my ass to keep you with me."

"I don't know, but it wasn't fair to lie to me. You hate lying and you're worse than me as far as I'm concerned."

He probably was. She was right. Jacob told her about how it all happened at once: the imprint, the almost kiss, the phone call. His head was spinning and before he understood what was happening, she was leaving with Alice.

"You've had other chances, countless time to tell me the truth. I asked."

"You seemed terrified of imprinting, you hated it or so I thought."

"Are you that stupid? I was scared because I never thought it was possible to be one. Now I find out I am and you still didn't want me. I wasn't even good enough to be your imprint."

He was getting slightly pissed. "That's far from the truth and you know it. You were perfect for me. I knew that before the imprint. Don't blame all of the mistakes on me. You left... three fucking times, you specifically and deliberately walked out on me. First Italy, then after the battle and finally, for good after the wedding. You went as far as to die, remember, so I wouldn't have a damn bit of hope. I didn't want you to stay out of obligation, I wanted you to love me enough without supernatural persuasion."

"I would have... I did." Bella was wiping her face with her hand and sleeve, so Jacob got up and grabbed her several tissues from across the room. "Okay, maybe we both can agree we were stupid, immature teenagers, not capable of dealing with what happened to us. I take full blame for my unnatural obsession with Edward. I get how that influenced you at the time, but I was drawn back to you. I answered the phone. I told you everything. We're adults now: last year, why didn't you tell me then?"

"I don't know."

"Rachel and Kim told me all about marking. Apparently, they had all sorts of counseling before consenting. It was a mutual decision. How dare you do that to me and then keep me in the dark about it. I feel violated."

"Jesus, Bells. I'd never violate you."

"But you did. You did something without my consent."

"It was in the moment. I didn't even know I was about to phase again, that it was possible as a human. If it helps, I don't think it has the same ramifications. The mark doesn't look like theirs."

Bella was furious. She said it obviously wasn't going away, so how did he even know for sure what he was saying was correct. "You can't be just a little bit pregnant, Jake. It's pretty much the same. I'm not only barely marked. I carry your mark. They told me what that means. You went onto marry Kaleigh to get as far from me as possible, but supposedly I'm bound to you forever and can never be intimate with another man. What in fucking hell is that about? You've imprisoned me!"

He told her they could go to Old Quil and the council to find out some more from the archives. "There's different interpretations. It's not all cut and dry. I was supposed to die if you died. I never could figure out what that was about."

"I wasn't dead."

"I know that now, but I thought you were. I can't explain my relationship with Kaleigh to you, but I was at a low place and she helped me forget a great deal of the pain. I was so sure in the beginning, it was wrong to turn my back on her, but I can't deny what being around you and Ace does to me. As a man, I'm divided in two, but the wolf only wants you."

"He got what he wanted, he impregnated me and secured the next generation. I guess he's happy."

"No, he's still extremely unsatisfied that we're not with you like he wants. He's driving me nuts. I assume you were eavesdropping on us. You heard what Quil asked me."

"Spare me, I don't need to hear about your sex life with your wife."

Jacob wasn't going to dump more on her, but his sex life with his wife wasn't right by any means. It never was since the marriage. It was downright embarrassing to admit the problems they had. Kaleigh wanted to see a therapist three months in. Now they weren't even attempting being physical. Jacob was pretty positive he couldn't even get an erection once he crossed the threshold of their home now that Bella was so close. However, he'd had them come easy in the apartment and the time he spent with her in his old room. They were all right, he could not possibly remain someone else's husband and he was on the brink of losing them both just like Embry said.

The two of them sat there for a good while staring into the abyss. They stopped talking. He was sure she had more questions, more yelling to carry out towards him, but nothing was happening until Bella thought of one other thing.

"What's the deal with the guys? Why are they looking at me so funny, stopping in their tracks, ceasing to talk when I open my mouth? Did you give them some weird order?"

"No, that would be all you."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It's one more of those legends we weren't certain of, but now we know. You're the alpha female and they follow you similar to how they follow me. I'd be willing to go out on a limb, they actually enjoy you much more than me at this point."

"Well, tell them to quit this instant. I don't want that sort of responsibility. I have no idea what they need from me. I'm not a leader."

"I can't. We can't undo it, Bells and you're wrong. You're doing a great job with no lessons or training."

* * *

Bella jumped up, walked back to Sue's bathroom and slammed the door. She stayed in there for a little while, but came back looking like she'd gotten a grip on the tears. She washed her face, straightened out her hair and looked pretty determined. She opened the front door. She clapped her hands over her head a few times. He hid a snicker. It was actually the only amusing thing he'd seen in days.

She did that about three more times as well as terrible attempts at whistling.

"What the hell are you doing, Bells?"

"I'm calling back the pack. You just said they listen to me."

"They have to hear you first. Here, cover your ears." Jacob gave them a signal with a shrill whistle.

They were all shuffling from the woods in their shorts less than five minutes later. Bella tested her influence. She held up hands, palms facing out, fingers spread as soon as they got to the front yard and driveway. "Stop, right there."

The guys stopped, so she told them to come in five steps closer and they did just as they were instructed, but she stopped them again. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She liked it, but he doubted she'd ever admit that.

All eight of them stood before her, waiting to hear what she had to say. Jacob glanced at Embry. He was just as committed as the rest no matter what he thought of him at the moment. Bella started a series of arm shakes, neck stretches, and foot stomps. He wasn't the only one trying to hold in a laugh. Quil and Brady were the first to crack.

"Are we going to wrestle or do you have something to say?"

Bella spoke firmly, "Shut up, Quil." He bit onto both his lips at once.

"Alright, here goes. I have a very twisted and tenacious vampire interested in me and my son." The guys growled in unison. "I'm fully aware, danger lurks, maybe not tomorrow or even this year, but it exists and I'm relieved we have your protection. I admit, I can't handle Aro alone. However, all this other shit ends now. I don't need you guys obeying me or allowing me to give you orders. Protect my son, that's it. Carry on normal around me, otherwise. I release you from any female alpha orders. That's not who I am. I can't reign over a pack with Jake when he and I aren't even together." Bella waved her arms around in circles in front of them.

"Bells, you're not a sorceress. This isn't a damn spell and you can't release them."

She pouted and stomped her foot. "Then do something, goddammit. Stop it. I don't want any of this. Quil, go get your grandfather. Can he chant something over us and break this imprint? You're all my witnesses. I don't want to be imprinted to Jacob Black. Imprint denied. And this mark has to go."

The pack gasped like a group of teenage girls who just found out their favorite boy band broke up.

Sam spoke first, "She's marked?"

Embry was next, "Selfish bastard."

Seth looked like he was going to cry. Jacob had a lot of explaining to do.

"Oh, none of you knew, that's surprising. Yes, your alpha goes around biting women without their knowledge. Collin, what you got for scars?"

"Huh?" Bella motioned for him to come closer.

She pulled her shirt to the side. They could all hear Collin taking audible breaths behind her. "Feel it. I don't think it's that deep. Do you have some special salve or medicinal lotion? Go on, push on it and see what you think." Collin knew better. He was already too close. Jacob looked at him and shook his head until he backed away a reasonable distance. Bella appeared frustrated. She scowled at him for backing down because of Jacob.

"Leave him alone. I asked for his help."

"Bells, Collin knows not to touch that mark. I'll take his hand off if he does."

"That's ludicrous. I touched Kim and Rachel's. Rachel touched mine and we were all fine. In fact, it made me feel better."

"That's different, but there's no way another man is going to touch it in front of me."

"You're an animal."

"That's what they tell me."

"Then to hell with you. I'll go to a doctor and get it removed." Jacob was almost certain that wasn't possible. He just stood there and let her rant. Bella was obviously trying convince herself she had some type of say so over the whole situation. She looked at all their solemn faces again before turning back to Jacob. "I need to see my son."

He nodded his head in agreement. "Seth, take Bells back to the house and help her get her things. Stick around at Charlie's until you hear from me."

She informed him she was leaving the next day. He knew that was the plan. She didn't know about all the strings he'd pulled so that could happen. "Please, don't go until I can tell Ace goodbye."

"I won't."

"I'll be there just before three." Jacob had no plans of seeing her again before that. She needed some space. He also knew he'd spend the night under her window just like old times when Victoria was on the loose.

Bella said one more thing under her breath. "None of it can be undone, can it?"

"No. I'm afraid not."

"I'll never forgive you for this."

One more thing he was afraid of, but he totally understood why that was the case.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

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	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Tearing Down and Building Bridges

Bella was sitting on Charlie's couch soon after putting Atticus down for the night. She knew she should get some rest, but it was nice to have some free time when he was sleeping. She certainly had plenty of issues to mull over, but she hoped her father would distract her with something: a cop show, a ball game, a talk about anything other than Jake. She was impressed by his new leather living room set, but then again, she'd been gone for a long time. Did she expect it to all look the same? He was kicked back in an over-sized recliner.

"This is comfy."

"Thanks, I sure like it. You're in Billy's favorite spot."

No such luck, as soon as he mentioned Billy, she thought of Jacob.

Her father continued trying to make conversation. "I'm stuffed. Boy, how I missed your cooking. That was the best meatloaf I ever eaten. You've gotten better and I didn't think that was possible."

"Thanks."

"Bells, about tomorrow. I sure wish you'd stay with me a little longer, figure some things out." Bella told him what she knew, at least the parts she understood. He was furious was putting it mildly. Charlie couldn't believe that Jacob could have changed so many things with one word from his lips.

Seth helped to calm him down. She was glad he'd been around for her all afternoon. He was outside doing a patrol currently. Her talk with Seth had been a eye opening. He apologized in a way, but it seemed to her like they were all under an order from Jake even when Sam was the alpha. She wasn't sure how that worked. Bella was sick of talking about him, so she asked Seth how he was handling his own relationship.

Jacob, Sam and the other guys agreed he could tell his fiance, Amelia a long time ago and since she was from the res, she already knew the legends. Bella had no idea she knew all this time. Amelia was the one that drove him to Collin's clinic. How nice to be in a relationship that was built on openness and honesty. Before Seth went outside, she got up the nerve to ask. "Do you think Jacob will ever tell Kaleigh?"

"Between just the two of us?"

"Of course, you have my confidence."

"He says he didn't want to burden her, but I heard him discussing it with Billy once. The truth is, he doesn't trust her enough because it's such an important secret. Her family's a trip, I've met them. Jacob can't risk a falling out and her taking out her anger on him. This conversation was way before we knew about you, by the way."

"Oh... "

"Pretty telling, isn't it?"

She didn't care what happened between Jacob and Kaleigh anymore. He could stay or divorce her. Bella shared a child with him, but that's all she had in common with him now. Maybe if she said it everyday, she'd eventually start to believe that statement.

Seth was a little concerned Leah wouldn't answer him back. She said they were all nuts to agree to what Jacob was suggesting. Apparently, she'd given Jacob an earful after one brief conversation with him right before Seth phased again. Bella was concerned that Seth said she never visited. He said, she at least promised to be at his wedding in December.

Bella had a moment of concern. "You don't think, Jacob's talk inadvertently gave Leah an order, do you? She's all alone in another state. I hope she's okay."

"Naw, she's just pissed. She's on a job thing in Canada for the week. She's probably living it up, thinking we're a bunch of schmucks."

"Oh, she never liked me much. Did she?"

"Not too much. Sorry, but I think if she'd stop with the grudges and allow herself to know you, the two of you could be friends. I hope that will happen one day, maybe when she comes for the wedding, I could put in a good word for you." Sweet Seth, he was thinking about her even when he didn't have to.

December sounded so far away, it almost seemed like everyday of Bella's life dragged on at a snail's pace after she'd gotten pregnant with Atticus, but when she looked back, it all blurred together. Hopefully, getting back to work would be the first step in feeling normal for once.

* * *

Bella told her father why she needed to go back. "I have to work. I believe this job with Collin will benefit us both and the sooner I make my own money, the quicker I can move out on my own."

"I'm still worried."

"I know. I would expect nothing less from you. You're a great dad and I'm sorry it took me so long to appreciate that fact." She told him it was fine to turn on the television, so he settled on a ballgame. He told her she looked sleepy and it wouldn't hurt his feelings if she turned in. Bella needed to put away the rest of the food. She had it in containers, but was letting it cool down and then she planned to go to bed.

Charlie asked if she was expecting Seth again. "Someone's knocking."

Her heart fluttered. Seth wasn't coming back unless she requested him. Jacob said he was coming tomorrow, but she found out earlier, she couldn't believe much he said. She was torn for a second, but she headed back into the the living room to face whoever was at Charlie's front door. He peered out before he opened.

"Embry." That was the last person she expected to see. "Something wrong?"

"No sir, I know it's late, but would it be fine if I speak to Bella for a second?"

Her father turned around and asked what she wanted. "Sure, it's fine. Wanna come inside?"

"Um, no, Jake doesn't want us indoors just yet, could you step out here on the porch, just for a few minutes. It's not even that cold out."

Bella grabbed her jacket just in case and walked out to the steps. She had a seat and Embry jumped down to the ground. "Hey."

"You look well. I guess the phase wasn't too hard on you in spite of everything." She was eyeing him closely for injuries and didn't see any, so hopefully he and Jacob were no longer at each other's throats in the literal sense.

"Yeah, the first 24 hours are the pits, but then we evened out. Look, Bella, we knew each other pretty well back in the day. I always liked you."

"Thanks, Emb. I like you too."

"I wouldn't blame you if you didn't now, but I came here to say that I'm really sorry. I was out of line to get so mouthy and volatile in front of you and Ace."

"It's okay, emotions have been running high for days."

"No, it wasn't okay by any means. I swear, it won't ever happen again and I want you to know that no matter what differences exist between my brother and I, you can trust me. I will always protect you and my nephew."

Bella extended her hand so she could grab Embry's. He squeezed her fingers. She opened her arms up wide. He informed her Jacob was going to kick his ass again. "It's too soon to get so close."

"Nonsense, you just made me a promise. I insist you give me a hug."

She stood up and he picked her off the stairs to give her a warm, friendly embrace. When he sat her back down, he remarked he thought she didn't like the order thing.

"Yeah, well it has its perks, I guess. Are you and Jake going to be okay? I can't believe I've made a rift in your family after you both worked so hard to make amends."

"You didn't. This isn't something you should worry about. I love him. I'm mad as hell at him right now, but he's my brother and I'm his beta and we were friends way before that. We have to get along. It's kind of a huge obligation."

"Beta? Wow, that must have been an interesting request." He made a funny face.

Embry said he needed to get going. They were working on the patrol schedules on the res and for following her around as well. It was an important meeting. "Jacob's fucking up in his personal life. I have no problem saying that, but you can trust him when it comes to your safety. I'm sure you've heard I might have let something get out of hand as far as Kaleigh. She and I clicked, but it's strictly platonic. I don't expect the two of you to get along. She told me about meeting you."

Bella was about to ask, but didn't. Embry communicates with Kaleigh? She wondered how often and was that always the norm? What did Jake think? Why did she even care so much? That's why she kept her mouth shut and let him continue.

"I've judged Jake pretty harshly, but my reasons weren't strictly noble and I've had two days in his head. It's not very easy to decipher. None of us would ever want to be in his shoes. It's important, everyone knows that I would never betray my brother, but I think I'm man enough to admit I've been a hypocrite. I'm judging him while I'm fighting with my own problems."

Bella was speaking for Embry and herself, "Feelings have a way of screwing us all up one time or another. Thanks for stopping by and I know Jacob trusts you or you wouldn't be his beta. Oh, wait. I just remembered, can you hold on a few more seconds?"

Bella rushed back inside to quickly make him a meatloaf sandwich. She wrapped in a paper towel and brought it out to him.

"Jeez, thanks. This smells so good and it's warm. The guys are going to be jealous."

"Well, too bad. The rest of the leftovers are for my dad's lunch." Embry took a big bite and mumbled his approval with his mouth full of food. He waved as he started to leave.

Bella yelled back to him. "I trust you too!" and she meant it wholeheartedly.

* * *

It felt good to smile. Watching her dad on the floor with Atticus was her new happy place.

"Dad, he's not ready to get on all fours."

"I'm just showing him for future reference." Charlie was rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. "This is how it starts and then the crawling comes soon after. He'll be all over the place then. You'll need to plug up all the outlets and pad the corners. Oh, and don't be careless emptying your pockets. Your mother yelled at me when she caught you with a mouthful of change a time or two."

"That's good advice. I'll remember that even though I don't normally fill my pockets with change."

Bella noticed the time, it was just after 2:30. This was the longest Jacob had ever gone without seeing Atticus. He would be there soon, no way would he let her leave without seeing his son. Charlie wanted to know what the plan was, but she wasn't sure. Nothing new about that.

"Alice and Jasper are willing to hang around as long as they're needed." She tried to reassure her father.

"Yeah, but I can't picture him letting you on the road alone. That even makes me nervous now that I know everything."

Bella shrugged. Seth was doing really good. Maybe Jacob trusted him to go back. Collin told he wanted to wait a few more days before he came back. She kinda missed the apartment. It definitely wasn't in an ideal location, way too close to Jake and Kaleigh, but she'd gotten used to it and all their things were there.

She was up early making all sorts of resolutions. It was going to be strictly business between the two of them when Jacob came back. She worked out a visitation schedule and for once she agreed with Kaleigh. He would not be allowed in her apartment. They wouldn't be hanging out like they were a real family. At first, she thought there was a possibility of salvaging their longstanding friendship, but not anymore. She could be civil for Atticus's sake, but that was as much as she was willing to try.

Bella drew one last conclusion, the pack wouldn't suffer because of her problems with Jacob. She sensed they needed her and they were already making sacrifices to protect her. She fully intended to get to know them all better and make their patrols go as smoothly as possible. They were all welcome in her life.

Her father had packed up most of their things. She could tell Atticus was wearing out on the floor, so she picked him up and tried to feed him. Jacob might be seeing him asleep in his car seat by the time he showed up. Bella draped a thin blanket over her shoulder and began to nurse the baby. Her dad made himself scarce. He said he didn't want to disturb them, but he insisted she take his chair to be comfortable. Bella could use a chair like that. Although, she was afraid, she'd never want to get up on days that she was exhausted like today. Her sleep had been terrible for the past 48 hours, but she still had to get up and take care of the baby.

She heard some noise outside, so she assumed Jacob had arrived. Her father was already out there, no doubt giving him the third degree. Atticus finished up, but surprisingly didn't nod off. He was practically digging his way out of the blanket when Jacob came inside and spoke to them. Their son recognized his voice. He walked straight over.

"Hey buddy. Daddy missed you."

Bella adjusted everything underneath the cover and passed Atticus off to Jake so he could have a few minutes with him. She used the excuse she needed to use the restroom and double check she hadn't left anything upstairs.

Seeing them together always did funny things to her. She washed her hands in the sink and gave herself a lecture in the bathroom mirror. "Don't let him get to you. He made his choice. It's not you."

She walked down the stairs to see Jacob had worked his magic and gotten Atticus asleep. "He was just giggling like crazy at you only a few minutes ago."

"I know, I tossed him around a few times, blew raspberries on his belly and then he nodded off. Oh, but he burped really loud. I'm pretty sure he upchucked some on my shoulder. I guess the tossing was too much since you just fed him. Can you check?" Bella saw a small clump of curdled milk on his right shoulder. She just realized it was the first time he put on a shirt since they arrived. She ran to the kitchen and wet a paper towel to clean off the spit up. As soon as her hand made contact with him, she felt that familiar stir in her belly. He made it worse by turning towards her to catch her eyes on him.

"Did you two sleep better last night?"

"Um, Atticus slept fine."

"But you didn't?"

"I'm not your concern? Don't ask about me anymore?"

He blew out a frustrated breath and rolled his eyes. "That's a little irrational, Bells. You're still my concern. You're my son's mother and... "

He left at it at that. The rest of what she was to him would forever remain unspoken, but continue to be the giant pink elephant in the room.

"Well, I guess we should be going. You can strap him in his seat and kiss him goodbye. I need to drive while he's sleeping."

"Hold your horses. I'd like to hold him a few more minutes. It'll probably be the end of the week before I get back home and we need to discuss something important." She avoided looking at them too much. Jacob was so tender and gentle with their son. There was something so sweet about a big strong man holding a tiny baby in his embrace. Jacob loving their son was more than something, it was everything and that's why she continued holding on and not running for the hills.

"Fine, is Seth going back with me?"

"No, he's probably good to go, but I'd like a few more days, all of us training together. Remember when I said desperate times call for desperate measures?"

"Yeah, like when you showed up with Alice and Jasper. I guess they'll be my sole bodyguards for a few days."

Jacob went on to say he had to make a few other decisions. "First things first, Ace can't go back to that daycare."

"What? I need him to, at least until Collin gets back. I barely know what I'm doing there. Most of his staff is plenty busy with their own jobs. I can't do everything Collin asked me to do and take care of him. He's a good baby, but that's not possible. We already agreed on the daycare."

"Well, I changed my mind. You know damn well you have something to tell me, don't you."

"Seriously, is this about the bite?"

"You're damn right it is. How did those incompetents allow him to get bitten?"

"It's barely a nip, I can't believe you even saw it."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me."

She didn't tell him because he would have overreacted just like he was at this very minute. The daycare owner apologized at length. Apparently, Atticus's teacher had to help calm down her three year from the other class. She said her daughter bit when she was upset. They had tried everything to get her to stop, but it was a terrible habit and she managed to briefly clamp onto to Atticus out of jealousy. They almost never allowed the older children in the baby room. Bella explained it all to Jake, she was upset but understood things happened and all the workers admitted he didn't even cry, it was so quick.

"Sure, he didn't. They all got their stories straight before you got there."

"They offered me two free weeks. That would actually be huge since I'm trying to save money."

"I was paying for it."

"Well, I planned on splitting it with you now that I have a job. Look, if anything else questionable happens, I promise not to take him back, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now."

"Nope, not going to happen. He goes to work with you. I have a solution, trust me. Take him and it'll be fine."

"Trust you? That's a laugh. Are you suffering from a mental problem? I'm not going to do everything you tell me to do. Those days are over."

"No more daycare, Bells. End of discussion. You know they're open all weekend. I gave them an earful on the phone. They won't be accepting Ace back, I made sure of that."

"You're the most overbearing asshole that ever lived. If this wasn't Collin, I'd be fired by the end of the week. I'll take him for now, but we'll revisit this topic when I find a reliable sitter." One more thing she needed to add to her long to-do list.

He said since she was already pissed, it was time she heard the rest of it. "You're not going to like it."

"You're consistent if not anything else. Why? What else did you do?"

"I've asked the Cullens to move back... all of them."

"What? You can't be serious. You hate them."

"Maybe, but I need them. Besides, I think the pack needs to grow. I'm hoping their presence will stir up the gene in a younger group. It's going to be challenging, since I have obligations in Seattle and that's where you and Ace will be as well."

"You mean your wife? Does she like being referred to as an obligation?"

"Of course, I'm considering Kaleigh, but I also mean my career. I have bills to pay."

Bella had learned how his complicated mind worked. It only took her a few seconds before the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. She jumped up and ran to the window. A black Volvo sat next to her Jetta.

"NO!"

"He wasn't my first choice, believe me, but Blondie and the big guy were out of the country at least another week. Dr. Fang is finishing up his obligations at his hospital and his wife is getting their old place habitable again."

"I don't want Edward as a bodyguard. This is insane. Did you ever consider my feelings?"

"I'm sorry, but this is strictly about safety, not feelings and as much as I hate to admit, he'd still do anything for you. I know you'll be safe. He knows not to get too close to Ace. You don't even have to speak if you don't want. In fact, that's what I'd prefer."

Jacob didn't understand. Edward was a reminder of a girl she truly hated. Bella was under Jake's thumb, so to speak, but she was nowhere near the spineless teen she'd been with Edward. Her entire existence revolved around him, she only wanted to please him. For God's sake, she chose him over her own family. She wouldn't dare have these heated exchanges with him when they were first together. She could clearly see now, both men tried to control her to an extent, but how she reacted to it was the complete opposite.

"Was your divorce not amicable?"

"What do you think? I had to turn into the bitch from hell to get away from him. He constantly patronized me when I stood up for myself. He kept trying to make excuses for my unhappiness. He thought he could fix our relationship, but it was broken from the beginning. It took me too long to realized that."

"He still loves you."

"Well, I don't love him, but the truth is, I don't hate him, Jake. Sometimes, I think Edward is almost like a small child. It's impossible to reason with him. I will always have some type of attachment to him, but seriously, if I act nice, then he thinks there's still hope. It's exhausting. I freaking hate you for this and yesterday day I already had a hundred reasons to hate you. Now make it one hundred and one."

"Desperate times... "

"Oh, take your ancient proverb and shove it where the sun don't shine. This is going to suck. Now, kiss your son and load him in the car. I have to go out there and face my past."

* * *

Edward glanced their direction. She was surprised her father was outside being civil to him after all he'd found out. "Bella you look lovely. Motherhood only enhanced your beauty. I always suspected it would."

Jacob pulled his head out of the backseat and sneered at him. This was all his fault, so he didn't have a right to be upset. "You know what you're supposed to do, bloodsucker. Follow Bella, stay away from her, don't bother her unless there's an emergency. When you get to Seattle, you and the pixie can switch places since your presence irritates Bells." Bella knew one other individual that irritated her, but she wasn't going to air their problems in front of Edward.

"I'm sure Bella is capable of telling me her wishes, dog. We were married once. She'll be safe under my protection."

"Stay away from my kid, that's the deal."

He ignored Jake and asked if she was ready. Edward told her to signal whenever she needed to make rest stops.

Bella had one other thing to say just for spite. "This feels like Déjà vu except it's the opposite. This time you're turning me over to Edward and not the other way around, plus we aren't at the treaty line."

Jacob's face contorted. Satisfied she got to him, Bella approached her dad for one more parting hug and then made her way to the car. Jacob came up behind her and put his hand on the car door so she couldn't open it. "Excuse you."

He lowered his voice, Charlie wouldn't hear, but Edward would know exactly what was said. "For the record. I'm not handing you over to him. It's a business deal, cut and dry. I know you think your being fucking cute, sticking it to me, but if I can give you away, then that would make you **mine** , correct?" He squeezed her firmly at her waist and she reacted in ten different ways to his touch. Jacob slowly pulled back his arm to let her inside. He looked smug as hell versus her deer in the headlights expression. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Edward, huh? Who was expecting that? Oh Jacob, he doesn't know when to quit. Jeesh, some readers are so pissed about his behavior, but the broken trust between these two continues to be the cause of lots of bad decision making. One day, I swear, they'll slowly start to reverse their direction, building trust and faith in one another and if you get fed up with the process and toss the story aside, then you'll miss the best parts. ;)**_


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Past Meet Present

The trip took a lot longer with a baby. She had to stop three times. Edward hovered somewhere in the distance each time. She was thankful he wasn't trying to engage her in conversation or come close to her car.

Damn Jacob a million more times. She was furious at herself for allowing him to get under her skin. The nerve of him saying she was his when he never wanted her. They obviously had one of those sick, twisted relationships. He didn't want her, but he didn't want anyone else to have her either. Countless women died or were abused in those types of relationships, but she knew Jacob wasn't capable of hurting her like that. However, the push/pull between them was incredibly unhealthy and her heart hurt plenty.

The problem between them always came back to trust. She would never get over him burying the truth about the imprint and he couldn't get past the fact she tried to bury herself. Jacob wanted Bella to trust him, believe in him all those years ago. She said she did, but regretted none of her actions indicated that was so. Perhaps, all that was left was a never-ending blame game. Atticus babbled from the backseat to remind her blame couldn't be all that remained.

* * *

Bella entered the garage. She was shocked Edward pulled in the driveway. Alice and Jasper always stayed hidden. She was distracted unbuckling Atticus when he walked up behind her.

"Need any help?"

"Um, I'm going to take the baby in, change and feed him. Just leave it all on the porch. Then you can go. I'm sure Alice told you how they handle things. Goodbye Edward."

He shook his head. "No, I'm not comfortable with that. You've been gone for days. This place sat empty. I'd prefer to go in first and make sure it's safe."

"Fine, but hurry. My son is wet and hungry."

Bella stood in the doorway. It didn't take Edward a minute to cover the small space.

"Happy? I knew it was fine."

"Are you sure? Someone's been in here, recently maybe two hours ago."

"A vampire?"

"No, gracious no, we'd already left if that was the case. Female." He sniffed the air deeply. "Expensive perfume," he knelt down and picked up a long strand of blonde hair. "Chemically dyed hair. A friend of yours?"

"Not hardly. Oh my God. Jacob's wife has been in here. What do you think she was doing?"

"Hard to say. I guess she's curious. Who wouldn't be under the circumstance? He's forcing two women to share him. It's beyond reason. I think it might be criminal in the state of Washington."

"Knock it off. We aren't sharing. He and I have a son. He's married to her. That's it."

"You and love triangles. I'm surprised you were so eager to try it another way."

"I'm not in a love triangle!" She whined.

Atticus fussed loudly, she couldn't put him off any longer. Bella told Edward to leave for the second time before going to the bedroom to take care of her son.

She emerged thirty minutes later to find him sitting at the bistro table. Bella put her happy baby in the swing. "I know you missed this. It's your favorite." He smiled back at his mother and she set the swing in motion with the mobile and music going. She pointed at Edward, "You, outside now."

They stepped out on the porch. Bell fussed at him for sticking around. "Jake doesn't want you inside. We don't know how it'll affect Atticus."

"Nonsense, he's far too young. The gene wouldn't ignite before puberty. I'm shocked how Black dictates so much to you now. I thought you said it was I that tried to control you."

"Shut up. I don't want you inside either and I have the final say so."

About that time, Kaleigh started down the drive. "Crap, get out of here. I don't want to deal with her."

"Don't speak in haste, love." She frowned at him. Really, that term again. "I might be of service. If she comes up, I'll read her for you, see why she snooped around your place." Bella hadn't thought about that, Edward butted in again. "But of course you've asked me to leave several times, perhaps I should go."

She grabbed his arm, "No stay, but don't engage her in conversation, just listen for me."

Kaleigh might go inside since they had a walkway from the garage that led into the main house. However, Bella suspected if she noticed her on the steps with a man, she might be inclined to check it out. Sure enough the garage door closed and Kaleigh appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where's Jacob?"

Bella shrugged, "How should I know?"

"He didn't come back with you?"

"We didn't go together, so of course not."

She rolled her eyes at Bella three different times. Bella glanced at Edward, he was intense. He was picking apart Kaleigh's brain and she kinda loved it. Mean bitch. Sneaking around, she was getting what she deserved.

"Who are you?"

Bella quickly replied, "Oh, just an old friend."

Edward stood up and walked down the steps. The whole time Bella wanted to scream for him to stop. What was he doing? He shook her hand... miserable bastard. "Hi, I'm Edward Cullen, Bella's first husband."

What? First husband, like there were more. What the hell was he up to?

"Oh, Kaleigh Black. So exes and still friends, huh? Tell me, did you come to get her back because you two actually make a really nice couple."

Edward did some stupid charming laugh and Kaleigh was immediately under his spell.

They said a few more pointless things to each other before Jacob's wife turned around and headed into her house. Bella waved him back up to her small porch.

"Well, did you get anything?"

"I got quite a bit."

"Do you know what she did in my apartment? Oh no, what if she planted a bug or a hidden camera?"

"No, nothing like that, she peered in some drawers and smelled a baby blanket is all I witnessed in her thoughts."

"A blanket?"

"She's so jealous, it seeps from her pores. She sees you as a huge threat and she desperately wants her own baby, but the dog refuses her." The thought of them having children together did crazy things to Bella. "Don't worry. It'll never happen. They don't even share a bed."

"Wait, they don't? I can't believe she was thinking about that."

"Nope and when they did, there were problems. You'd be surprised what all runs through a person's mind when they're threatened or upset."

"Anything else?"

"She lying."

"About what?"

"Not sure. Usually after a few minutes of my intense gaze, the mind gets jumbled, but she's definitely hiding something and it's crucial. The guilt is eating at her, so she isn't all bad. It's those with no remorse that are the worst."

"Is that it? I mean were there any other details as far as the lie?"

"Just one, she's lying to her husband specifically, not anyone else."

Bella should be saying, serves Jacob right, but she was consumed with worry. What if Kaleigh's lie affected Atticus in some way? Maybe having Edward around occasionally wouldn't be so bad. He was still annoying to her, but he'd been more helpful than anything.

One more thing nagged at her after witnessing Edward read Kaleigh's feeble mind. "You knew, all this time. Didn't you?"

He crinkled his face but didn't look away from her. "We were a force of nature. Would it had made a difference?"

"Hell yes, I know it would have. I can't believe you and Jacob have so much in common. You're both miserable liars."

"I withheld a truth that no one ever asked me about. I'd hardly call that lying."

She wanted to know when he first knew. Edward asked why she wanted to rehash ancient history. It served no purpose in his opinion and only seemed to upset her.

"It's not ancient to me, I just found out. Tell the truth, dammit. When?"

"The day he stepped in the road after our return from Italy."

She didn't need to hear another word. Edward could continue to try and convince her otherwise, that he was only protecting her, but she saw through that now. Edward made his choices based on his own selfish desires. No wonder, marriage was pushed so often, so frequently like it was their only option.

She was happy to give him the boot after the fourth or fifth "please leave." She got one text from Jacob before bed making sure they were fine, but that was her only contact with him all day and she hated to admit, it kinda sucked.

Jacob knew exactly what he was doing by calling the Cullens back. As mad as she was at him, she was more likely to flee. There was one place she could go and be protected, but by bringing them back to Washington pretty much squelched her options. Jacob seemed to always be one step ahead of her, but she still had her best friends. They weren't exactly vampire slayers, but Barry and Monica had her back. She opened her laptop to see if Aro had tried to make contact, but he was silent. She eyed that ticket back to LA and wondered if Jacob thought about that fact she disclosed to him. Bella liked to believe she still had some options and was in control of her own life even if it didn't seem so any longer.

* * *

Bella slept great for a change so she was able to wake up ahead of her alarm and get to work early. She needed to set up a space for the baby that was out of the way. She had no idea what Jacob might have said to the day care owner. "Poor Atticus, your Daddy has you blacklisted already. None of this your fault, my sweet boy."

She kissed his full cheek and sat him on her leg so she could start reading over Collin's checklist again. A couple of people came through the back. The new chiropractor and the acupuncturist were getting their areas ready for clients. The bell rang. Bella asked if they normally let people in early and they told her it was fine, so she put the baby over her shoulder and walked to the front door. The bell rang a second and third time back to back.

Goodness, that was a bit rude seeing how they weren't even open yet. She unlocked the door as fast as possible.

The eager client pushed it open before she could back up two steps. Were her eyes deceiving her? How was it possible? The annoying bell ringer wasn't a client after all.

"Well, you just going to stand there and stare? I know I look fabulous despite the early hour and grueling drive, but I expect a hug. Gimme that boy. Hey there, Ace? You missed your Uncle Bar, didn't you? I sure missed you."

"Barry!" Finally came out of her mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"Meh, LA was suddenly a bore. Mon left for an extended stay in Portland. I was extremely lonely, so when the big man made me an offer I couldn't refuse, I up and quit my job and officially moved to Seattle as of this instant."

"Jake told you to come here? I'm speechless."

He pulled her in with his other arm. "I know it's only been a few weeks, but damn I missed you, little girl. This kid is putting on weight too. You still only feeding him booby milk?"

"Exclusively. What did you mean by 'offer you couldn't refuse?'"

He held up Atticus and blew kisses on his belly. "First off, he said I can stay on your couch. I hope it's comfy, if not, I'm sleeping with you. I told him that and he said he'd buy a new couch. When's that big oaf going to admit his true feelings? He doesn't even trust your gay boyfriend. Anywho, the other part is a brand new title I'm honored to have. I'm still going to cut hair on weekends as soon as I find a decent salon." Barry offered his hand, she shook it like they were meeting for the first time. He went as far as an introduction. "Ms. Swan, you are looking at your brand new Manny. Get it, I'm a man and a nanny. I'm going to be babysitting Ace while you work. This is going to epic!"

Once again, she should be pissed at Jacob. He made executive decisions without consulting her, but this one really was a blessing. She missed her friends more than she admitted. She always was a little hesitant leaving the baby at the daycare, but she had been trying to prove a point to Jacob. The idea that their child would be with someone that loved and adored him was more than she could hope for. Bella had no idea what Jacob did to get Barry to leave his job and house he loved so abruptly. It seemed like that man had persuasive tactics even for people that were immune to his alpha powers.

Her phone buzzed from her back pocket.

 **U r welcome**

Stupid jerk. She wasn't responding to him, because if she did, she would say what had come to mind far too many times lately. _Well played Mr. Black, well played._

She should be madder than she was. In fact, Barry in Seattle with her did nothing but make her smile. Of course, Jacob went about everything in the worst way, but she was thankful for this. He had done whatever necessary to make her stay put, first the Cullens, now Barry, but in doing so, he also saw to some of her needs. She wouldn't feel so isolated and alone now and Atticus would have the greatest Manny in history. She worried for her friend a little bit, since he was starting over, but he was from Texas and had been moving around since he turned 18. Their little bungalow was the longest he'd ever stayed in one area. Perhaps, Jacob was giving him a welcome change of scenery. Bella hoped he liked Washington and would stay a while, because it was definitely looking like she was there for the long haul.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The New Normal

Bella and Barry were sitting in her tiny living room with their feet kicked up. He cooked while she bathed the baby. He had a few specialty dishes that she was pretty fond of. Atticus was happy in the bouncy seat while they enjoyed veggie quesadillas with fresh salsa and sour cream.

They spent the past three days catching up. Having him there made other things easier. Those other things were that Jacob was still on the reservation. She told herself she wasn't allowed to miss him, but then what was that constant ache she felt not seeing him or barely hearing a word out of him? He would send a daily check-in text and that was it, but last night had been different. He asked for a picture of their son. She immediately sent one of him being adorable, but Jacob's next request made her heart skip a beat.

 **Send one of you and him together.**

Her sound mind said, no, not a chance, but she only hesitated five minutes before sending him a selfie with Atticus. She was used to doing the pose for her mother about every five days or so. Renee was planning a visit soon and Bella was excited about seeing her again, but until then she begged for recent pictures. She stared at the phone waiting to see if he had a reply and when it finally came through, she was sure to go to sleep with certain things on her mind that would only torture her already troubled soul.

 **Thanks, I needed that.**

She wondered what Kaleigh thought about his long absence, not that she cared, but she'd been scarce and they had only seen each other twice. Funny, how she was so curious about Bella's male companions. She did a similar inquiry on Barry like she did with Edward.

The first afternoon, Bella brought him back to the apartment, Kaleigh came to the door.

"Whose car?"

Barry stood up and came into view. "That'd be mine, Bella's best friend." He walked all the way to the door and offered his hand. "Barry Van Pelt and you must be Kaleigh."

"Wow, you sure do have a lot of friends suddenly. Too bad none of them will put you up."

Bella figured she might as well get it over with. "Barry and I were roommates in California, so he's going to be staying with me for a little while to help out with Atticus. I told him where to park."

"Oh really, well, you've got some nerve asking friends to freeload without permission. This is our house, our apartment. I thought I made myself clear before. Does Jake know about this?"

Barry couldn't wait to tell her the truth. "I should say so, since it was... " Bella smacked him hard in the gut, so that he couldn't finish the words. She had an inclination to protect Jacob no matter how many times she willed herself to stop.

Kaleigh didn't seem to catch on. She looked around them and eyed Atticus. "Poor kid, sad he has witness what his mother is at such a young age. I guess there's nothing we can do until Jacob gets fed up with the constant parade of men in and out of his son's life. It won't take much more to change his mind about putting in the call to the lawyer."

Bella was ready to let her have it, but this time, Barry stopped her. "Back off, Duchess. What's going on in B's personal life is none of your damn business. Cut the shit, she's a great mom and no lawyer or judge will ever be able to dispute that. The big guy wants her to stay, he brought her here and just because you're the landlady in a round about way, doesn't mean you can nose around in her private life."

"Bar, please. It's not worth it."

"See, she's too nice to tell you like it is, but I'm not. I'm honest, brutally honest when people need it most." Barry reached out and took a strand of Kaleigh's blonde hair. Bella knew he actually admired her hair, but he went in for the kill. "Oh, honey. Like this hot mess, I can fix those roots and split ends for you in a jiffy if you want to make an appointment." Kaleigh slapped his hand away so fast, Barry didn't know what hit him. "Easy there, I was only trying to help."

She took a step back, straightening out her clothes and smoothing her glossy hair back down. Her hair looked perfectly fine, Bar was being an ass because Kaleigh was such a harpy. "That'll never happen. I have the best stylist in Seattle. He's trained all over the world and worked with runway models before settling down in the area. I pay more for my hair care than your weekly salary, I'm sure. I don't care what you two do, but when Jake gets back, expect to hear from him."

"I count on it, babe, he and I are like this." Barry wound two of his fingers together. Bella wished she would have been able to snap a picture. The look on Kaleigh's face was priceless.

The door slammed shut. "You're so bad."

"But you love me for it."

Indeed she did. He was the best.

She slugged him in the arm hard when he admitted the rest. "God, her hair felt so good. I told you... it's like spun silk."

* * *

Barry threw a pillow at her. "Penny for your thoughts."

"Oh, nothing. I was just remembering you and Kaleigh. That might make a fun reality show, but I doubt I could watch her everyday."

Barry was pretty perceptive. He told her that wasn't the only thing she was thinking about whenever she'd get all quiet and withdrawn in the evenings. "You miss him."

She shrugged. Bella missed Jacob so much. She didn't realize how attached she'd become to his visits. He was always showing up to see Atticus, using the excuse he wanted to help with his bath or bedtime or just to play. She realized those times usually ended up with them talking and visiting as well. They had plenty of light-hearted conversations amid all their drama and those were the things she'd desperately been missing. How was she supposed to stick to her guns and give him that visitation schedule she'd formulated?

They were all due back sometime the following day, so Bella decided it was time to broach a subject that may or may not be of importance. "Um Bar, I need to tell you a little more about my boss."

"Collin, right?"

"Yeah, it's just, he's had a rough few months and the clinic's super important to him. He already said Atticus is welcome, but he never knew I'd also have a Manny. I need to run things by him. Maybe you and the baby should stay here tomorrow. I'll even come back on my lunch break to feed him, but I've got plenty of milk stored."

"Sure, we're up for anything. I can even bring him to you. He likes a car ride, maybe I'll take him for a walk in the park."

She reminded him he couldn't do that without telling her first, because she would have to make sure they had an escort. Barry wouldn't know that, he told her to stop being so over-protective a few times since he'd been back with them.

Bella had yet to spit out what she was trying to say. "So about Collin."

"Yeah. What about him? If he's an old friend and already allows you to bring your baby to work, I'm sure he won't have a problem with me. I'm a friendly guy. Everyone likes me."

"Well, before you meet him, I think you should know that he's Quileute like Jake and he's also pretty darn handsome."

"Good to know. I can handle handsome. Wait, how handsome, like your guy good looks?"

First of all, Jake was not her guy and in her opinion no one was as good looking as Jake, but she admitted, "Close, but there's something else." She waited, counted to ten and then blurted it out, "He's also gay."

Pieces of tortilla crumbled between Barry's fingers. "What? Why the big secret? Is he still closeted or something? I can't believe you work with a hot man that might be exactly my type and you're just now mentioning that important detail."

To her, it wasn't an important detail, but to him it was. Barry and Monica had both had some disappointments the past couple of years. Bella had witnessed them argue countless times. Monica swore all the hottest ones were gay and he said that wasn't so, the only hot guys he'd met recently were assholes and then they'd polish off a bottle of wine commiserating over hot, gay, ugly straight, assholes and jerks for the next two hours. She normally stayed out of it. She swore they were in a competition based on who could find the worst date from hell.

He was busy asking loads of questions about Collin. "Okay, stop. This is why I'm bringing it up. No, he's not closeted. His friends and family are very accepting. The truth is he got burned and he is working hard to get over it. Don't take this wrong, but sometimes you get a bit weird when you're trying to impress a guy. I would really appreciate if you just act natural. I'm sure he's not interested in a rebound thing. I don't want my workplace to get awkward."

"Okay, I get it. You think I'm going to wreck shit for you at work, that I'm too weird for your hot friend. No problem, I'll reign in the charm and be completely aloof with this Collin guy."

"Dammit, Barry. That's not what I meant and you know it. Just be yourself, Collin would be lucky to get involved with someone like you. I'm just pretty sure he's not looking to get involved, so I don't want you to get your hopes up. That's the only reason I brought this up in the first place."

Bella had witnessed Barry self-destruct many of his relationships and it often wasn't a flaw with the other guy. Barry had some strange hangups through no fault of his own. He had daddy issues galore and she knew why. His father never accepted him. He was a manly man: guns, sports, beer and women. The fact his only son, big burly state champion wrestler that had a string of beautiful girlfriends came out right before graduation was the last thing he ever expected. His father told him to leave as soon as school was out and to never come back, that he didn't have a son any longer.

Bella's heart broke in a million pieces the first time he told her the whole story. His mother didn't stick up for him either. She would never go against his father. He kept in touch with his two sisters and his granny who was still hanging on at 97. She was horrified at what her son had done and she often sent Barry a little money now and then, especially when he was moving around.

Barry's problems with his father would never be resolved. He died five years ago unexpectedly. His mother called to let him know and asked if he would come to the funeral. Barry had one question, "Did he ever speak of me again or ask for me?"

Her answer was 'no' so Barry told her there was her answer as well. It was obvious, the experience had done something to him, and she suspected it was the underlying reason Barry struggled with real honest to goodness relationships with men. It was so much easier to offer up relationship advice than it was to follow good guidance for herself.

Barry seemed to get over feeling insulted after a few minutes. Maybe, Collin and Barry might hit it off, but the two seemed different as night and day to her. Stranger things had happened. She made up her mind to stay out of it, since her mess with Jake was laughable. She counseled Barry not to be weird when she was increasingly strange around Jacob. He even offered to trim her hair. She'd been growing it back out unintentionally.

"You sure? I thought you said it was so much easier when Ace was born."

"I know, but I'm just going to let it be for now."

"For him."

"Nope, definitely, not him. I'm done making decisions based on Jacob's opinions," she insisted.

Barry gave her a hug and wiped the tears of betrayal from her cheeks. He didn't say anything else, but "I know, honey. I know."

Bella shut the tears down as fast as they came, but if she was totally honest with herself, she couldn't wait until tomorrow afternoon when he was back and things would be back to their kind of normal. It was hard to believe in a few short weeks, they had a such a good routine, but they did. She didn't realize, those thoughts were pretty damn naive. Nothing was actually normal any longer and the new day would prove so.

* * *

Bella changed her mind and told Barry to come to work with her, but when Atticus woke them both up at four and spent an hour and half being extremely cranky for some reason, he was happy to go back to bed when the baby finally went to sleep. Bella on the other hand never got to rest again. She went into work early to make sure things were ready for the boss's return. Edward sent a text he was on duty, and that Alice was near the apartment. He'd been sending lots of messages. She tried to be cordial but he was already on her last nerve. She was visibly disappointed each time her phone dinged and Edward's name appeared instead of Jake's.

She was still texting Mackenzie a little bit which was a nice change of pace. He asked almost everyday about that dinner date. Barry told her to do it, that Jacob needed the shakeup. She wasn't going to use another man to make him jealous, that was pathetic. If she took Mack up on his offer, it would be for herself. She was ready to test these ancient theories out some. What was it that would keep her from all other men? Would a bolt of lightning come down? She doubted it. Maybe it was all a bunch of hooey. Bella was determined to prove them all wrong.

She ended up beating everyone else to work. She switched on the lights and started the music. The clinic was in good shape, far more organized than the first day she arrived. Collin wouldn't even recognize his desk. She actually filed the files in a cabinet.

The buzzer went off. The massage therapist was good, but she had a knack for misplacing her keys. Bella let her in about every other day. She didn't think twice about opening up. A woman fell at her feet. She was wrapped in a weathered scrap of an old tent. It took her a few minutes to recognize the material. Her first thoughts were that she must be a victim of an attack. Edward appeared seconds later.

"Bella, back up. She's not safe."

The woman growled out in pain. A growl. Edward was telling her to get back, but the closer he came, the louder the sounds from the mysterious stranger became. Of course, she ignored him and stepped closer. Bella moved the matted dark hair out of the woman's eyes and pulled her face up slightly.

"Leah." Leah Clearwater was broken down, nude and threatening to phase right at her feet. "You're the one that needs to back away, Edward. You're upsetting her. Go. Fall back further into the woods."

"Nonsense, she's a wild animal. Let me take her out with me. You can't take her inside. I'm reading her mind. She hates you with a passion for doing this to her again."

"Get the fuck away from her. I mean it. I will take care of her. I'll call you if I need you."

Bella slammed the door in his face. The tremors were running through Leah like crazy. The other employees would be there any second. She had to get her calmed down.

"Leah, listen to me. I'm going to help you, but you have to let me. Can you walk?"

She managed a head nod. Bella could tell she'd already been phasing and had little control. Leah was fighting back. She didn't want to be the wolf right now. She wanted to be human so that's what Bella intended to help her be.

They had therapeutic bath in the back. Collin showed her how it worked the first day. Bella started to fill the tub, but she led Leah to the shower first to clean some of the muck and grime off her. The shaking was getting better so Bella kept talking, telling her what was happening every step of the way. The order thing was working. She told her first off, no phasing in Collin's beautiful clinic. As soon, as the water was the right level, she sprinkled in the contents for a botanical bath.

Her phone had been buzzing in her pocket non-stop since Edward left them. Leah took some deep breaths under Bella's instruction as she sank into the fragrant, warm waters. Bella hit the jets on as well which caused her to jump.

"It's okay, it's just the jets. Relax, Leah. This bath will make you feel better, every girl loves a bubble bath, am I right?"

The she-wolf closed her eyes and shook her head affirmatively. Bella told her she needed to answer her phone but she wasn't leaving. She pulled a chair closer to the tub. The phone was going off again.

"Hello."

"Bells, what the hell is happening? The douche called."

"It's fine. I'm handling it."

Jacob's voice rattled her and Leah made a grimace as well.

"What the fuck do you mean you're handling it? He said Leah was about to phase. I don't ever agree with the leech, but she needs to be outside away from you. What the hell were you thinking bringing her inside?"

Bella told him to get there as soon as he could, but until then he was going to have to trust her. "I did what she needed most. She's completely calm right now. Leah, can you talk, is there anything you want to tell Jake?"

Leah stuck up her middle finger and Bella had a good laugh. She felt that way most of the time too.

"What happened? Are you upset?"

"No, you big dummy. Leah conveyed her true thoughts with a hand gesture. I concurred. I've got this, don't worry and drive safely."

Jacob said they were only thirty minutes away, they'd left before dawn. She was confident she and Leah would be fine for the next thirty minutes. She heard some noise outside the door so she stuck her head out and told Pat, the assistant, she had a sick friend she was helping out, so no one would disturb them.

Bella sat back with Leah. She asked if she could wash her hair for her and Leah finally opened her mouth to speak. "Yes, please." Bella grabbed the shampoo and conditioner and started on Leah's hair. It was several inches longer than she used to wear it.

"How many days have you been going through this alone?"

Her voice was hoarse, "Five, maybe six."

"I'm so sorry, you were all alone. That must have been so frightening. Oh my gosh, you were in Canada. Seth said that earlier. Did this happen on your business trip?"

She said it had, and that it was hard to hide in order to get into the forest. She had to take a long way around to the east and then head south. She struggled like hell to switch back so she could make her way back into the city. She found the abandoned campsite where she found some covering.

"I hate this. I don't want it. Make it stop."

"I would if I could. I want to, but I don't know how to stop it. Did Jake order you? He said he wasn't going to."

Leah twisted her head side to side and told Bella the truth, "No, you did."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **See, not as angsty. It's calming down, I think. I wasn't going to update, but then I changed my mind. Love to hear your thoughts.**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**~A/N I just realized I hadn't posted since last year, lol. Did anyone miss the updates? Here's the deal. FF is annoying me. First, I lost 10 days of views in the middle of December. Now, the review count goes up, but I can't read them except from my email notifications. I hope they'll come back soon. Sometimes, I like to reread them to get a vibe for the story again and some of my readers like to peek occasionally as well. I repeat, you don't have permission not to review if you are led to do so. Something funny that caught my eye last update. I've heard for weeks, "Jake's an asshole, I hate this Jake, this is the worst Jacob ever" etc and last chapter, when he wasn't around, I got, "Hope Jake's back next update" in various reviews. Those made me smile :)**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 28: Maintaining the Status Quo

Jacob hoped if he got pulled over, he wasn't going to jail. That's how many laws he was breaking to get the clinic to see what was happening. Charlie could get him out of it probably. He couldn't understand how Leah was a wolf and they were all in the dark. Was she so far away, the mind link didn't work or had Leah been as stubborn as always and shut them out on purpose? If anything happened to Bella as a result of his piss poor planning, he'd never forgive himself.

They made it to into the city way quicker than she expected them. The clinic was slow since it was early in the morning. Bella stopped him at the door with a hand to his chest. He wanted to pull her close and make sure she was truly okay, but she wouldn't have liked that.

However, she answered the questions on his mind. "I'm fine. She didn't hurt me, Atticus is at the apartment with Barry. Leah's getting dressed in some extra scrubs I found in the supply closet."

"I swear, I knew she didn't want this and I told it was strictly voluntary. She's the only one that had that option. I don't know how it happened."

"I ordered her or at least that's what she thinks. I certainly don't know how I did it and if I could undo it, I would. She's upset and I don't blame her."

Seth asked Jacob if he could talk to his sister in private first. Bella answered for him that it sounded like the best idea. "Come on, I'll fix you a cup of coffee and tell you all that I know." Bella and Jacob sat in Collin's office while he had an informal meeting with his staff in another room. As far they were concerned, he'd been ill, so he wanted to hear how the week had gone. She told him how Leah arrived and that Edward was making it worse. "I guess he did what he was supposed to, he reluctantly listened to me and called you for help."

"He's driving you crazy, isn't he?"

"Little bit, but I have a much stronger will these days."

He knew why. Jacob knew she was still mad and said she'd never forgive him, but when the two of them were alone talking, pieces of their exteriors would break away. He slowly guided the rolling chair closer to where she sat on the desk. "How's our son?"

"He's good, but was a little cranky this morning. I'm glad I left him at the apartment."

"Cranky, is he sick? Do you think he's teething already?" She shook her head and said she didn't think so but inquired if he'd been doing some baby care reading and he admitted he had in his free time. "How's Barry working out?"

"Perfect, like I'm sure you knew he would, but we're a little cramped. His grandmother sent him some money and we're thinking about looking at two bedrooms soon." He wanted to say something that would make her call him names again, but she interrupted him. "I think we should wait until everything settles down some. You have my word as long as you behave."

Jacob closed his eyes for a few seconds. She was doing everything he and his pack needed with no sort of instructions or persuasion. That had never been more clear than it was this very morning. "Thanks and I'll try my best. Jesus, this is going to be a mess. I have to take Leah back to the res, Kaleigh's pissed enough. I don't know how to explain it to her. Has she bothered you?" A question he would never even consider asking Kaleigh concerning Bella. What the hell was he doing?

Bella turned away from him and said she'd barely seen her. He thought that really meant that she had done something to piss Bella off, but she didn't want to talk about it. He'd also received a strange call from the bank. She was up to something and the reasons for staying, for trying to make it work were becoming harder to recall.

Jacob was anxious to see how Leah was going to act, so he went to the back to have his own chat with his latest, most reluctant pack member. Bella said she had some work to get started on, so she went the other direction.

"Mighty alpha. Well, here I am, reporting for duty. I'm sure I'm fired from my real job for abandoning my crew at our annual company wide meeting. I could make up a story I was kidnapped, I suppose, but it's not like I can go back anyway, so what's the point."

"I'm sorry, Leah. Bells didn't realize when she commanded Lahote to phase, she ordered everyone to protect Ace. Honestly, we need the numbers, because I have no idea what we're up against."

"Yeah, she's not such a little twit like I remembered. I appreciate how she took care of me, she's our alpha female according to Seth, but I felt it too. Does that mean you dumped Seattle's finest socialite?"

"Not exactly. Look, I really need to go by my house and take care of some shit. I also desperately need to see my boy. Can you hang with Collin and Seth for a few hours and then I'll get you home."

"Do what you have to do, I know the way."

"No, I'll take you. It's my responsibility, I mean, you are, Leah. I want to be the one to take you home."

"Okay, if this little twerp," she punched Seth in the arm, "will go get me some food, I should be good. The woods are close if I need them, but honestly this is the longest I've gone human since it happened and I'm in control. I swear it. She did that, Jake. Are you aware how important Bella is to all of us now that we're a pack again?"

He was.

* * *

"Finally, where in the hell have you been?"

"My dad's, I told you. Listen, Kay... "

"No, you listen. Are you aware that tramp has had not one, but two men over since you've been out of town? Honestly, Atticus should not be in that environment."

Jacob was shocked after practically being MIA for a week, she chose Bella's companions as her first gripe. He wasn't going to mention Edward if he didn't have to, but he told her he knew all about Barry, that he was a trusted friend of Bella's and very good with Ace. He trusted him a lot more than that hole in the wall, come and go daycare she suggested.

"Well, the one guy said he was her ex. How many times has she been married?"

"Once."

"But you said it was an ex that causes concern for her safety. It's him?"

"Yes, but he's not the concern exactly." Defending Cullen left a bad taste in his mouth. Most of this was his damn fault in Jacob's opinion, but he was trying avoid more conflict with his wife. "It was someone affiliated with the family."

"And you brought her here to our front door, now this ex is sulking around. Seriously, Jake, what is going through your mind these days? What if they get wind of my family's money? I want her gone. I've put up with this shit for a few weeks, but I'm done."

Jacob told her they were trying to come up with other solutions. He, honestly was ready to take Bella and Ace back to the reservation. He was torn, because he didn't see how he could walk out on his job just yet. They had other things to discuss, finances in particular.

"Did you take out a loan?" She started straightening up the living room the minute he brought up money. Jacob followed her in circles. "I asked a question?"

"How do you think I paid for the contractor?"

"Dammit, I didn't know he was doing much more than some painting. You haven't let me in there. What the hell? I told you we didn't need a nursery. I certainly didn't want to add more debt on top of this mortgage and other things."

She was quick to point out the 'other things' were his fault since he was attempting to support an extra family. He didn't know when he had time to go to the bank. He hoped the message he received meant there was something he could do to stop the entire process. He also needed the name and number of that contractor. Jacob walked over to the counter and picked up a few pieces of mail. She snatched them from him. He knew one was from a credit card company. It was the card he'd given to Bella originally.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. You've been gone a week and all you want to do is search the mail. You've always let me take care of the bills. Why this sudden interest?"

"That's bullshit. I always pay attention to the finances. Give me the statement, and the two others you picked up."

His eyes roamed over the pages. Of course, he knew about the charge he used for Ace's things, but there were tons more. She was charging fucking everything, night and day apparently pretty much from the day Bells arrived... online, plus all types of stores. Kaleigh liked nice things, but she usually waited for a commission check. She always paid bills first and then would purchase a treat item. This was spending unlike he'd ever seen since they'd moved in together.

He was mad, but more than anything he was afraid. He was already trying to work out a way to take a leave of absence and she'd single-handedly added to their monthly expenses in a few days. That was just what was in front of him. He was pretty sure there was more. At this rate, it would take him years to pay off all these damn bills.

"Why are you spending money like this? You better start returning some shit real quick."

"Screw you. I haven't been myself. Mom's health is up in the air, you brought home a girlfriend and baby and my work has been slow. Excuse me for needing a little retail therapy. We'll catch up in a couple of months."

He doubted that, after reading the totals and adding them up off the top of his head. They could have the fight of all fights if he said what he really wanted to say, but he had more pressing matters. The next fight would be bad enough.

"I have to go back to the reservation for a few more days. Seth's sister is in town and she doesn't have a way home. Plus, Dad's not doing so great." That was an exaggeration, but the stress had caused his father's sugars to be a little out of whack. "I only came back to get a few more clothes and check on everything."

"You have got to be kidding me. What the hell is Rachel doing?" Kaleigh had insulted his sister a few times in the past, about what a waste her college degree had been and rude shit about how Rachel was staying home with the kids while they were small.

"A lot, as usual, Rachel works damn hard. I told you from the beginning we share the responsibilities. I notice you don't have anything to say about Embry pulling his weight."

"Embry has a demanding job."

"Don't we all."

Kaleigh quickly switched the topic from his brother. "What about her?"

"Who, Rach?"

"No," she pointed her head towards the front of the house.

"I'm going to see Ace for a few minutes and then I'm leaving. Bella's working five days a week now. That's what you wanted, correct. She found a job that she likes." Kaleigh huffed something was fishy. "You know what, I was wrong. This arrangement sucks and it's not fair to you. Bella's torn between wanting to help out Collin and staying with her father. I'm just going to take a step back as well. You and I are at each other's throats half the time. I'm thinking about asking her to move back to Forks. I need to be more involved with my entire family, not only my son."

She stopped him right there. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I know I'm being pretty volatile and that's so unlike me. I can tell you've been ill. You have dark circles under your eyes and look so tired, Jake. I believe you. I know you're worried about your father. We have that in common. We both love our parents and want what's best for them. I've been selfish, making you spend too much time around my family and never wanting to visit your old home. Take all the time you need. I might despise Bella, but she doesn't make a peep. She can stay a little while longer, I guess. I would never want to deprive you of your precious son."

Kaleigh pretty much changed her tune on every snide remark she said earlier. Quil was right, chicks knew when they were about to get dumped and Jacob knew his house was crumbling to the ground, but his responsibilities kept him from handling the situation properly. He wasn't going to do it that way. He owed her more than what he was capable of at the moment.

* * *

He was trying to be quiet, no idea how she knew he was down there tinkering with the bike. As tired as he was from days on the res, training with Leah and the others, then back to work all day the following week, he couldn't sleep. He had no choice, but to sneak out and take actual runs back to his home turf several nights a week. Embry told him to stop, Leah was actually much better around him than Jake. If he remembered correctly, Emb was pretty scared of her back in the day, but either Leah mellowed or his brother wasn't such a wus anymore, maybe a little bit of both.

"I'm sorry, was I loud?"

"No, I didn't hear you. I felt you." Jacob was used to that feeling, but he guessed it was new for her to recognize it. "Why are you up in the middle of the night messing with the motorcycle?"

Jake continued to work on pulling the carburetor without looking up. He explained how the bike was a bit off the last time he rode it, thought something was up with the fuel line. She listened attentively like she always did when he worked on an engine in her presence.

"Don't you finally have a night off? You should be sleeping."

He set his tool down and looked up at her. Bella appeared shocked. He knew what he looked like as well.

"Oh my gosh, when's the last time you slept all night?" He picked up a rag, wiped his hands and stood up. He tried to avoid the question and started straightening his mess up instead. "Jake, seriously, when?"

"I don't know, maybe a couple of weeks ago."

"How many hours of sleep are you averaging?"

"Two or three, I guess." The truth was, some nights it was zero. He was coffee and energy drink dependent and had a bottle of eye drops with him at all times.

"You don't have to do this. We're all fine. Aro has only chatted me up once since I moved here, the pack is settled again. Atticus is doing great. Embry's handling things at home. No offense, but this is the worst you've ever looked."

Bella leaned up against the worktable. He didn't know if he should say what he'd been thinking, but Jacob felt better in her presence only after a few minutes.

"You know what I wish?"

"No idea." He wondered if that was completely honest. Bella seemed to understand what he was thinking pretty often. He thought she pinpointed all his motives quickly and with little error. She wasn't agreeing with him too much, but she got him.

"I wish we could push the bike out, hop on and take a long ride in the still of the night like old times. There's a place I want to show you." He knew this perfect spot he'd only been to alone. It was like a lost paradise. They couldn't even get there in a regular car. He actually knew of many unique spots for trail riding, his favorite one was on the reservation, but the chance they could run off for hours on the bike was slim to none. Bella would never leave the baby like that. He needed to reign in this fantasy of her clinging tightly to his back with her legs wrapped around him before his body betrayed him and he did something stupid.

She looked at him wide-eyed and completely quiet except for her exaggerated breathing. Barry would be fine with Ace and Kaleigh was sleeping hard as usual. They could manage an hour disappearing to ride out to the local spot, but she'd never say yes. Why would she? He was sending confusing signals and he knew it.

Bella walked passed him and touched her foot on the carburetor, "Well, that's not happening. You have this carb thing on the ground."

Dammit, was that the only reason she was saying no? "I can get this baby back together in ten minutes."

She faked a yawn. "I have work and so do you. Maybe you can live on two hours of sleep, but I sure can't."

"Yeah, sure, sure." He took a second to visualize her taking off with him on the motorcycle again. Maybe, one day the opportunity would present itself in another place and time, but he never asked for a rain check like he wanted to. "Go back to bed, Bells."

"You too or I'm not going to be able to fall asleep." Bella stopped herself directly in front of him. She touched his cheek. "I mean it. We're all doing okay considering the circumstances. You can ease up." She rubbed her thumb under his eye. "Your dark circles have circles. Your eyes are so bloodshot, mine sting looking at them."

"Strange, how you can manage to look at me, I sound hideous."

Bella punched him in the stomach, but he barely felt it. They were closer than she probably planned. She looked down and latched onto her lip with her teeth. He grabbed her fingers when she dropped them to her side, but held them instead of letting her go.

"I'm still mad at you."

"I know." However, she didn't pull her hand away even as he started to slowly stroke her smooth skin with his thumb. Jacob eventually released her before he did something that was going to cause them further distress.

"Go back to bed. I'm doing the same."

She walked to the steps and said goodnight and reminded him about Ace's afternoon check up at the end of the week. "I wouldn't miss it," he told her. He needed to work but he'd already scheduled the whole day off Friday, because there was one other appointment Jacob had early that morning. He hadn't told another soul, but his mind was made up. He was visiting a lawyer.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **We're at the point in the story where I struggle with the muse. It happens to me every time. I really need to slow down, updates will be a little more spread out or least that's my prediction. However, that doesn't mean I don't have more chapters for you. I do, I just need to take my time so I don't miss anything I specifically wanted to cover in this story.**_

 _ **Next chapter preview... Bella has two unexpected visitors. I'd love to hear your guesses.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**~Thanks so much for the feedback last chapter. I'm pretty stoked about the next couple of ones I'm working on.**_

Chapter 29: Family vs. Family

The night in the garage scared her enough that she finally accepted Mackenzie's dinner invitation. Bella was so close to allowing Jacob to quickly repair the motorcycle so she could take that middle of night ride with him.

Then what?

What would have happened between them? It was almost as if she became cognitively impaired when they were alone. Her thought processes went all askew. She wanted the nearness, the quiet and most of all, the familiarity.

She sent the text after Atticus's four month checkup to ask what was a good day for Mack to which he promptly replied Sunday evening. Jacob took the baby to the house for a visit with Kaleigh in order to give her a break since the vaccinations had stressed her out like crazy. He cried so bad, so of course, she did too. Atticus took a nap on the way back home. He was totally over the trauma by the time Jacob took him out of the car, but she wasn't. It felt very normal to have the discussion with Jacob on the way. The co-parenting solution was working better than she would've predicted. She wanted his opinion on the immunizations, since she decided to do the spread out schedule and to delay some.

He told her he trusted her on this topic, that no doubt she'd done her research. "Besides, my boy's probably already immune to all those common childhood illness... wolf gene."

She reminded him he'd been sick once with an ear infection, so he wasn't as invincible as his father or his father pretended to be.

Bella kept that stupid visitation schedule in her pocket. Jacob had been so busy, it didn't seem right to tell him if he had a spare hour, it might not be his scheduled time. She held onto it. Each day that passed, she was more and more tempted to toss it in the garbage. Barry found a part-time weekend job not too far from their apartment. He came in a hurry because he thought he was starting the following morning, but the owner said they had a stylist go home sick if he was ready to make a few bucks.

He confessed the decision for him to maybe move close was made before she and Jacob ever left LA together. That's why he'd already taken care of his cosmetology license transfer, storage for all his extra stuff and the seemingly effortless transition. Jake was right, Barry sure could hold onto secrets if the situation called for one.

Bella loved him being there, but in their previous living arrangement, they each had a lot more personal space. She was looking forward to him working on the weekends and she wasn't being rude. He told her the same thing that morning when they were attempting to brush their teeth together in front of the sink in their tiny bathroom.

"I love you honey, but I definitely don't want to be your fake husband much longer."

She was slightly jealous how Barry could adapt to change so easily. He already had friends from the clinic. He went out with a bunch of them for hump day cocktails. She knew he was disappointed Collin didn't want to go and she wanted to stay in and relax with Atticus. The minute Barry met Collin, he was taken with him, but Collin was far too distracted. He hadn't paid too much attention to Barry so far. That was all her warning had been about, but her friend was taking it in stride. She suspected he might try and find ways to get to know Collin better when opportunities presented themselves.

Bella hoped Jake would visit that night she had to herself, but he was too busy. She was seeing him less and less. It seemed pretty stupid he was training to protect her, but was barely around. Although, she knew full well, someone was always close by. The Cullens were secondary protection now, a wolf was always around from the reservation.

She and Barry were used to having an extra mouth to feed for dinner each night. Bella enjoyed merging her friendships so that Barry was now getting to know people from her past. She felt like the relationships were brand new in a sense, because she was definitely not the same as when she knew them years ago. Jacob hadn't allowed Leah to take watch, but she volunteered for the weekend. Quil and Barry were the most entertaining combination to date. She had to send Quil outside to put Atticus to sleep because they were far too rowdy.

Of course, Bar had a hundred questions about what it was they all did and where they went when they left their place. She knew she could trust him, but she and Jacob hadn't gotten the chance to discuss bringing him in on the actual secret. He thought they were some private security force and that Bella was being targeted by organized crime. She never told him that, but his mind ran crazy with probable scenarios one night and that's the one he settled on. If that idea worked for her friend and was easier than full disclosure, then she would let it be for now.

* * *

Bella busied herself with tidying up the apartment Saturday. Barry had a full day planned at the salon. Jacob was home for a change. She noticed Kaleigh was as well and she didn't know what was worse: thinking about them inside alone together or seeing them drive off around noon. Maybe he was taking her to lunch or shopping or to visit her family. She had no idea, but Kaleigh was getting his time and she was jealous. Bella wanted to push him away and make it only about Atticus but she was lonely. Gosh, she was a train wreck. Why tell Barry she needed a break from him or insist Jacob couldn't come in the apartment around her? When she actually had time to herself, she was miserable?

* * *

An hour or so after Atticus's nap, Bella collapsed next to him on the quilt. "I should've napped with you instead of cleaning."

He giggled and played. He was getting better at this rolling thing. She found herself mimicking her father by demonstrating the all fours stance. It probably wasn't too far off in the distant future. Atticus was growing rapidly and he was strong for a four month old. He was definitely Daddy's boy. Bella heard a car door slam. At first, she thought Jacob and Kaleigh were back, but the garage never opened. A minute later, there was a knock at the door.

She looked out the peephole but didn't recognize the person. All she saw was cropped blonde hair and dark glasses. Bella knew Brady was around, so no way was this a vampire. The dark glasses made her slightly nervous, but a second, harder knock hit against the door. Maybe someone was looking for Kaleigh, perhaps a client that was confused. Although, it seemed obvious to her the main house was in plain sight.

Bella unlocked the door but barely cracked it open. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, you certainly can, Bella. I think I can help you as well. Might I have a minute?"

She stepped back and the woman that already knew her name pushed inside. The minute the glasses came off, Bella knew who she was. Only one other person made her way inside like she owned the place. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree. She'd been warned, but she was finally face to face with Kaleigh's mother.

She swallowed down her nerves. Bella had no idea what Selene knew about her, but if she knew her name, then Kaleigh must have told her the truth. She needed to say something, so she asked if she wanted to have a seat or if she would like a drink. "I have a kettle of tea heated if you'd like a cup."

"Yes, please, a little honey and a lemon twist if you have some."

Thank goodness she did. Bella felt afraid to tell this woman no about anything. She always thought Renee looked young, but Kaleigh's mom was in excellent shape and she'd just celebrated her 50th. She was dressed super trendy as well. Bella quickly made her tea as requested and had a seat on the sofa. She picked up the baby since he'd wedged himself against the leg of the sofa. Selene was in the chair.

"That's a beautiful scarf." She hoped it didn't seem fake to give her a compliment but she was being honest. The only criticism Bella could find was that Selene's mouth looked like it was pulled a little too tight. She didn't have a wrinkle anywhere on her face, but the scarf fell just enough that she could see her age around her neck.

Selene started to speak. Bella couldn't stop looking at her strange mouth which was messed with a little too much by a doctor. She only assumed it was altered in hopes of making Selene retain her youth, but it actually lessened her beauty in Bella's opinion. It reminded her of something else, a clown instead of a youthful woman. "Thanks for the tea. Listen, I'm not here to beat around the bush. That's definitely not our way. My daughter told me how you came about. I can't say that I'm surprised. Jacob was never as committed as I knew he should be. He's always been far too standoffish and restrained."

Bella immediately thought those were two words that she'd never used to describe Jake, but that's how Selene viewed him.

Was an apology in order? She assumed so. "I'm very sorry for any hurt or embarrassment I've caused your family. It certainly was never my intention to hurt people, but we're all managing somehow for his sake." She kissed the back of Atticus's head. He bounced on her lap and smiled oblivious to the tension Bella felt from the woman sitting across from her.

"You can't be serious. Managing? My daughter is suffering each day you reside in such close proximity. We're keeping this in the family for now for obvious reasons, but gossip has a tendency to get out into the open. I will do anything to keep my child from embarrassment." Bella understood the need to protect one's child. She held her son a little tighter. Something told her this wasn't a friendly welcome even though they were sharing tea.

"I... I don't know what else you'd have me do. I stay out of their way. I'm working now and as soon as my friend and I have more saved up, we're moving into our own place. It's just that it's very important to Jacob that his son be near."

Selene glared at Atticus and Bella didn't like it one bit. People were supposed to smile at babies, make funny faces and talk in silly voices. That wasn't how Kaleigh's mom acted at all. Bella finally placed the person Selene resembled. She ignored the beauty and the expensive wardrobe, instead she looked like her idea of the witch in the woods that caught Hansel and Gretel eating on her house. Did Selene think she and Atticus were nibbling away at the house Jake and Kaleigh built for themselves? She thought so, but Bella would protect their son, she was not letting him get shoved in an oven. The more they sat face to face, the less attractive Selene appeared to Bella. She quickly morphed into every villain Bella could recall.

"I'm sure this isn't easy but this is only our business. Kaleigh didn't veto this arrangement, so I honestly have no idea why you're here. What's the point?"

Selene snapped that she doubted Bella knew one damn thing about what Kaleigh was feeling. "You must be the most selfish woman on earth, so this should be easy. You're out for Bella. I know your history now."

She reached in her bag and pulled out a slip of paper. It took Bella two seconds to realize it was a check.

Bella pushed her hand back.

"Don't be dense. Think of your son."

"I am and he's not for sale. I don't care what amount you made that check out for. I'm here for our son. I promised Jake, I won't take his son from him." Bella snatched the mug out of the uninvited guest's hands as she stood up. "Get out!"

Selene left the check on the arm on the chair, so that Bella finally could read the amount. Holy shit, she had no idea Kaleigh's family was that rich. The check was for $50,000.

Of course, no amount would make a difference. She reached for the bouncer and snapped Atticus inside. She snatched the check and ripped it in several pieces.

"Like I said, get out."

Bella was so mad she couldn't see straight, she didn't even notice the door opening up again and that she had another surprise visitor.

"Mom!" Bella rushed to the door. She hadn't seen Renee since her wedding to Edward. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She and her mother hugged and cried a few minutes before Bella realized they had a very unlikely witness to their reunion.

"Well, where is he? Let me get my hands on my grandson." Bella stepped back so Renee would see Atticus. "Oh. My. God! That's the most beautiful child I've ever seen. He's gorgeous, baby girl. You did good. I guess mixing it up with that Quiluete demi-god was definitely for the best. You made the perfect child."

Renee's choice of words did little to make Selene's presence any less awkward. Her mother fumbled with the buckle. "How does this work? I swear I never used any of these fancy baby contraptions with you. I could plop you in a playpen with some cloth books and you were happy for hours."

Selene cleared her throat while Bella freed Atticus so he could get better acquainted with his grandmother. Renee scooped him up and sat down in the chair just vacated by Selene. She was talking a million miles an hour. Honestly, her child looked a little apprehensive. His expression was halfway frightful mixed with amusement.

She insisted he call her Renny instead of any traditional grandmother names. "Because who would actually believe I'm a grandmother, right?" Bella glanced at Selene who was standing with her arms folded in front of her. Who knew what she was waiting for? It should be obvious she was intruding on a private family moment.

Eventually her mother acknowledged her presence. "I'm sorry, I was too filled with joy earlier, but I'm Bella's mother. And you are?"

Bella answered quickly. "Mom, this is Selene Langston, Jacob's mother in law." She faced the woman again hoping that this would be her final cue to leave. "And this is my mother, Renee Dwyer.

Renee interrupted after quickly saying it was nice to meet her. "No, hun I'm using Swan again. Phil didn't approve of me keeping his name and since my maiden name is a mouthful. You know your father, he doesn't care about such things either way."

Bella was slightly embarrassed which was nothing new. Her mother had a knack for that. She proceeded to make it worse. "Oh let me tell you now, I had this special friend back in Phoenix, barely thirty, mind you and he wanted to marry me, give me his name, but I can't see myself taking the plunge again. He was appealing for other reasons, definitely not marriage material."

Bella could not move quick enough to get this woman out of her apartment before her mother said another thing. This day went to shit in a hurry. As much as she was thrilled about her mother's surprise visit, a little warning would've been nice. Bella already suspected there was a back story to why she arrived almost a month before she said she would be visiting.

Selene started moving towards the door. She continued with her superior attitude. "No wonder you gave your body so freely without regards to Jacob's commitment. It seems you had quite the role model."

Renee was back to babbling with Atticus but her mother never missed an insult as long as Bella could remember. No matter how fast Bella tried to walk Kaleigh's mother out the door and out of their sight, her mother was much quicker. She was up, handing off the baby to Bella and shaking her finger in Selene's face seconds later.

"Just a damn minute, lady. Who do you think you are talking about my daughter that way? You don't know either of us. I'd venture to say if your daughter was so great, then Jacob wouldn't have strayed so easily. I'll have you know he's been in love with my Bella, since they were children. We should all be able to agree his marriage to your daughter is an enormous mistake. True love will win, you just wait and see."

Bella had no idea where she'd gotten her information from, Charlie perhaps, but she and her mother had never gone into all the details regarding Jacob. She got a glimpse of him at the wedding and did a double take, whispering, "That's the boy you almost left your fiance for? Hubba hubba. I might of known Billy Black would have a handsome son. He was a looker himself back in the day."

Selene continued spouting off, "If it was up to me, I'd say take him. You could all trudge back to that dreadful reservation where nothing ever changes and have all the brown babies you'll never be able to properly care for, but my daughter loves him for some reason and what Kaleigh wants, Kaleigh gets. She's a force of nature. Her father and I knew from the moment she was born. If it's hard ball you wish to play, then I'll double my previous offer. What do you say to $100,000?"

Bella was stunned for several reasons. Renee went off on her without hesitation about her daughter couldn't be bought and how dare she, etc. Even though, Selene deserved the worst. Bella grabbed her mother's arm. She didn't need the two of them to go toppling off the edge of the second story.

She handed Atticus back to her mother and assured her she could handle things. Bella shut the door, Selene stood at the top of the stairs. It was so tempting to give her a proper shove with her foot, just to see if she would bounce, but Bella wasn't violent. She honestly didn't have much more to say to her. People like Kaleigh's family were used to getting their way by throwing their vast amounts of money around, but Selene had no idea the amount of money that had once been at her fingertips. Bella never cared one flip about the Cullen's money.

The check was a mockery and she wondered if any other family member knew about it. Maybe she should reconsider dinner out with Mackenzie, but the thing that really infuriated her were the insults concerning Jacob. Selene didn't think he was good enough for her daughter and nothing could be further from the truth. Bella thought from the get-go, he was way too good for Kaleigh. She picked on La Push as well, but it wasn't an insult in Bella's opinion. The way the reservation remained constant, never seeming to change too much always gave her warm fuzzy feelings. It felt like a safe haven even before she knew of the protective force that surrounded the lands. The more seconds that ticked by, the madder she became.

"Don't you ever come back here again. You can drop off a million dollars in cash and it still wouldn't matter. My son and I are here to stay. I never planned to live in this apartment much longer, but I won't take my child away from his father. Yes, Jacob and I acted without consideration. We were wrong, but our son is not a mistake. We love him and from what I can tell, even Kaleigh is on Atticus's side. You are a horrible person to come in here with your superior attitude, putting me, my mother and my son down. Your money doesn't make you special."

"I never put down that innocent child."

"Yes, you did. You don't think he's good enough either because of his skin tone and heritage." She almost said she wished she could have more 'brown children' with Jake like that woman suggested in a derogatory manner. "I'm proud my child is a member of the Quileute nation. As a people, they have more honor, grace and dignity than you could ever possess."

Selene was fed up with Bella's insults. She could keep going all afternoon once she got started, but Kaleigh's mom started down the steps. She turned around before she got inside her Mercedes. "This isn't settled, girl... not by a long shot. You're underestimating my family."

She slammed her car door, so Bella didn't know if she heard her or not, but she screamed so loud, Brady came out of hiding. "No, _you're_ the one that is underestimating MY FAMILY!" Of course, she was thinking about her parents, Atticus, Barry, Monica, Billy and the pack, and Bella couldn't deny it. Jacob was also her family now and one day they'd all have to come to terms with that fact.

* * *

Her mother grabbed her and pulled her close as soon as Bella got the baby settled in the swing.

"Oh, baby girl. Why are you putting yourself through this? You don't belong in this place, so close to people like that woman. I'm sure her daughter's not much better."

Bella was contemplating who was worse. Maybe Kaleigh and Selene were neck and neck in a tie.

"I'm okay. Really, I'm just happy to see you again. I'm so sorry what I did and for how long it's been."

Her mother said she knew there wasn't any room there and that she was going to head to Forks soon, that Charlie said she could hang there for a while. Bella wondered what was up with her job and living arrangements.

"Oh, I'm tired of Phoenix. I'm staying around here for the being. I need to get to know my grandson and reconnect with my only daughter."

Bella didn't understand what was going on. Surely, her father didn't say Renee could stay with him indefinitely. That was liable to drive him to drink excessively.

"Well, what do you say?"

"What do I say about what?"

"Come with me. That nonsense from before should make the decision easy for you."

"I can't, Mom."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to stay here for Atticus," Renee hardly looked convinced, Bella stumbled over her confession. "And for Jacob, he needs his son." Her mother frowned harder. "Okay, for me." She'd never admitted it even to herself, but Bella said the rest, "I stay because I want to."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Next chapter is going to stir up a little controversy. Remember, Bella accepted a date with Mack. Who can predict Jacob's behavior?**_

 _FYI: for anyone that read my Bella/Paul story, Won't Go Home Without you is nominated in the top ten twilight fics completed in December. Those are almost always vamp fics so it would be super cool to get votes. www . twifanfictionrecs . com_


	30. Chapter 30

_**You should totally listen to the Bond theme Sam Smith performs "Writing's On the Wall" It's a perfect companion for this chapter.**_

 _ **I kind of insist on it ;)**_

 _ **"If I risk it all, could you break my fall"**_

Chapter 30: Risking it All

Jacob slid down the wall until he hit the floor. The apartment was completely dark except for the stove light. He'd spent an hour with Kaleigh trying to get Ace to settle down for bed and another hour at Bella's place when he finally determined the baby needed to be in his regular environment. They both agreed he was missing his normal surroundings. He was finally sleeping and Jacob didn't dare make a sound.

.

.

He was always eager to watch his son when he had a night off. Bella gave him absolutely no warning when she asked him this afternoon. She was all set to let Barry watch him because she didn't want Jacob freaking out. Imagine that. She thought the idea of her going on a date with his number one enemy, not counting the Italian bloodsucker, might cause a little drama. It wasn't like that information would have gone unnoticed. He always knew when she was on the move and who was following.

Bella stammered with her excuses over the phone. He was glad Kaleigh was at the grocery store when she called. If she normally needed to talk, she'd send a text and he'd figure how to get in private. "Um, well, Barry's super excited. Collin just texted him. They're going to that sports bar down the road from the clinic for the night game and to shoot pool. He didn't think he even knew his actual name. You know Collin's been so busy and preoccupied. I couldn't ask him to alter his plans for me, he's been a lifesaver. I think this sounds like a nice idea for both of them." Jacob felt bad for all Collin had been through the past few months, but he didn't know what any of this had to do with him.

"Yeah, like you said, good for them." As soon as he said that, he saw his wife's car coming down the driveway. "Bells, is there something else? I need to go unload groceries." Translation, he didn't want to spend his Sunday fighting with Kay. Jacob was still in talks with a lawyer, but he didn't want to get accused of something he wasn't doing, like spending his time on Bella the minute she turned her back. That would only further complicate the messy situation that was brewing. He was aiming for casting a bad light on Kaleigh instead of taking the blame for everything since certain things came to his attention recently. However, she'd been overly nice after the past few fights about money. He knew she wasn't to be trusted, and whatever her mother was up to was just as worrisome. However, he needed to play the game a little while longer according to his legal advice and he hadn't even had the time to go over that altercation Bella just experienced with Selene.

Bella didn't answer right away so he was prepared to tell her he'd sneak out a little later and see what was up. She blurted it out so fast, if it wasn't for his keen hearing, it would've sounded like gibberish. "I'mgoingtodinnerwithMackenzie."

Kaleigh popped in at the same moment. She studied him. Jacob turned around so she wouldn't see his face. "What was that?"

"Jake, I know you heard me. I'm going to dinner, Mackenzie's coming at six, can you watch Atticus?"

He asked through gritted teeth. "How long?"

"Not sure, probably until after bedtime. He says he has a surprise after dinner." Jacob was ready to punch a hole in the wall. Kaleigh kept going in and out with bags. He muted the phone and told her he'd get the rest but he was trying to get some information. "Bella wants me to watch Atticus."

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

She looked irritated. "I was working on a surprise for you. How long?"

"I'm trying to find out now."

"Of course, it's okay, he's always a delight. Don't worry, I'm almost done unloading the car."

What the hell was with everyone and surprises tonight? He had no idea what Kaleigh's was, probably a new recipe she wanted to test. He couldn't let his mind wonder about what Mack's was or someone was going to the hospital, jail or the morgue tonight.

He hit the mute button a second time, fully prepared to tell her that it wasn't possible. If Bella didn't have a sitter, then she wouldn't go, but as soon as he heard her voice again, she got to him. "Jacob, it's just a friendly dinner. You say I can still live my life the way I see fit. Prove it. He's nice to me and I really would like to know some more people that aren't part of the supernatural realm. I have to work tomorrow. I won't be later than ten."

"Fine, I think Kaleigh's making a big dinner, so I'm getting Ace and bringing him over here. We'll set up the pack n play if he falls asleep." Kaleigh hadn't cooked for him in a month at least, what a weird fucking night this might turn into.

* * *

Jacob flicked on his phone so it'd light up the time, 10:20. Kaleigh made a nice steak dinner and was super cheery all evening. Ace was really happy the whole time until he got sleepy. She seemed happy to have him there and didn't make one comment that Bella was with her cousin, but she knew. Mack texted her and Jacob also said it casually right before Bella dropped Ace off.

Kaleigh sent a few messages earlier when he first went back to the apartment to get the baby to stop crying. She asked if he needed help. He told her no, that she should go to bed since she had two big closings the next morning. All night, she really reminded him of the old Kaleigh, which completely caught him off guard.

Ace wasn't dealing with the bottle either. Jacob barely got him to drink less than half. He hoped that was okay. He hoped his own tension wasn't the reason his son was fretful.

 **10:23**

'I won't be later than ten.' Lies Bells, all lies. What could they be doing so long? Scratch that. He didn't want to think about it. All he knew was the latest they probably started dinner was seven. No one ate a three hour dinner.

 **10:27**

Jacob sat his phone underneath him so he wasn't tempted to blast off a load of texts that would land him on her bad side again. How did he even get off her bad side after the imprint reveal? Was he? By the time, he got back in his regular routine with her, she had mellowed or maybe that was a false sense of security. She was most likely bottling up everything that she was still feeling about that and one day she'd explode on him.

 **10:29**

Twenty-nine minutes late. He was the one that was about to blow a gasket. Jacob's son was all that kept him glued to the floor, but the wolf lingered. He was so close that when the car door slammed at 10:30, his skin rippled. He had two choices: he could sit and wait exactly where he was or he could meet them at the door to halt any sort of personal contact that might occur at the end of a date. He was counting down in his head, she had ten seconds. If he opened the door and Mack was pawing her, he was going to fly right off the tiny landing onto the driveway.

She knew to come to the apartment because that was the only text he sent well over an hour ago. He told her that he was putting him down in his crib to make things easier for her. This is how she repaid him for his restraint and thoughtfulness.

...8... 9... 10.

He leaned forward. She turned her key. He fell back to the wall on the side of the kitchen, out of sight from the front door.

She was inside. The door closed. Bella whispered. "Jake... "

He wasn't sitting on the floor in an attempt to scare her, but he was trying to talk himself down from what he was about to do. Bella took a step towards the door to her room which was closed.

Too late, he was laying it all on the line tonight. "Fun night?"

She almost fell to the ground in front of him, he startled her so badly. "Jesus, Jake. Have you lost your mind? Why are sitting on the floor in the dark?"

Her voice was a little too loud, so he put a finger to his lips. "Shhh... the baby's finally sleeping."

Bella tried to catch her breath before she whispered, "Okay, is he alright? Did something happen? You never said there was a problem."

He jumped to his feet in a lithe motion and took a step towards her. She backed up a step, so he took another. She wasn't getting away from him that easy. Jacob told her the quick version of how the night went, that Ace only had issues about eating and sleeping towards the end when he became overtired.

"Well, not sure what that's about, but thanks for taking care of him."

"He's my son, no thanks needed."

Jacob was already analyzing the air. Was there a strong odor of Mack? If so, then how much of his scent was on Bella? He smelled him, no doubt about that. Now to find out where it was the strongest. He walked forward again until he was towering over her. He could see her discomfort but he hardly cared.

"Thanks again, I'm going to bed now." She tried to turn but he blocked her. "What the hell is up with you? I think you need to leave."

"Not until you answer my question."

"What question?"

"I asked if it was a fun night?"

"Get out, Jake."

Jacob pressed her against the wall before she knew what was happening. Of course, she resisted but he held both her wrists in one hand in front of her. He proceeded to sniff out Mack in all the obvious places. He moved his nose across her lips first causing her to suck in the air they were sharing. He went across her face, up high and then across both sides of her jaw, ending up and down her neck. Bella stopped squirming and didn't say a word until he released one hand. It was then she attempted to strike him, but he stopped her so he could smell all the way up her arm, starting at her wrist, ending somewhere near her shoulder.

Mack didn't kiss her, that was the good news, but he'd touched her, maybe held her hand or put his arm around her. Jacob dropped his head slightly towards her chest and that's when she really got combative.

"What the fuck, Jacob? Get off me."

He lifted up but wasn't letting her away from the wall. "You don't smell of his slobber, but tell me right now where he touched you."

"Go to hell, you maniac. For the last damn time, let me go and get out. We're done, Jake. I swear to God, I'm moving out of here no later than next week. So much for behaving, you have completely lost it."

Lost it. Of course, he'd lost it. He was deranged since the moment she walked back in his life at that little coffee shop in LA. He married Kaleigh knowing full well what Bella was to him, that he'd never get her out of his system, but he ignored all the ominous warnings. Now he was surely paying the price. This was torture. The whole night had been a living hell, pretending to get along with his wife while she played house like Ace was theirs and only theirs. All the while Bella was out with a predator. Mack was only trying to check off his list and taunt him in the process.

"You shouldn't have gone. Just so we're clear, there won't be a next time."

"Are you hearing yourself? You are married, Jacob. I have to sit right here with your cozy little love nest right in my face, day in and day out. You told me she was your choice. I'm only your obligation. I swear, I'll prove those damn legends wrong, maybe not with Mack, but with someone. I deserve to be happy too, to find someone I love."

She was wrong about so many things, but he didn't know where to start. That fucking intrusive scent of another male was making his vision hazy, his skin burn and his thoughts jumbled. Single words echoed in his mind : _Mate, imprint, family, pack, pup, Bella... mine._

He pulled her against him, rubbed his hands over every spot he could access with her squirming while she tried to get him to release her. He whispered again for her to stop. "Don't fight me. You won't win." It sounded threatening, but it was more than that.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I have to get his scent off you. It makes me fucking nuts. We need to talk, but I can't right now. I have to make you understand."

"I'll change." There she was, the true alpha's mate. She knew what he needed. His requests were irrational, but Bella understood. He loosened his hold, but the second she started to pull away from him, he panicked again. She was going to go in her room. For all he knew, she could lock the door on him. He caught her by the waist.

"I'm coming with you."

"I said I'd change."

"Then change, but you're not leaving my sight, not the way I feel right now."

Jacob slipped the button-down sweater off her shoulders first. She had a long sleeve top under that and pair of black slacks on. Bella lost all inhibitions. She kicked her shoes off to the corner of the room and started to undo her pants. There was nothing rational about her standing in the tiny room undressing in front of him but she was doing it. Bella took off everything but a camisole and her underwear. She opened her drawers, grabbed a t-shirt and slipped it over her head with her back to him. He watched her perform some crazy maneuver that extracted her undershirt and bra to the floor before slipping her arms inside the shirt. He watched and she let him. Bella grabbed a pair of shorts next which didn't cover much more than the panties so he didn't see the point, but the mixed combination of their arousals was already heavy in the stale air. Maybe that's why she was trying to cover up.

She knew better, Bella couldn't hide from him. She turned back around. "There. Happy now? Let's go to the living room. You have ten minutes or I'm screaming for backup."

Leah was the one on patrol and that confrontation wouldn't be pretty if Bella alerted the only female wolf that was suddenly her biggest cheerleader what had been taking place inside there.

She tried to pass him but now that the filthy clothes were discarded out of sight, he wanted a hit off her pure scent. She wanted him as much as he wanted her and yet they continued to deny the truth because of his mistakes. Jacob wasn't going to manhandle her like before. He simply reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

"I miss you every second of the day even when we're in the same room. I'm missing you because nothing is as it should be."

She stopped. He heard her breaths get deeper, more ragged, her heart quickened, she looked up at him with glossy eyes that threatened to spill over soon. "Jake, please don't. It won't change anything."

He leaned over and buried his face in her hair. "How do you know things aren't about to change?"

Her arms remained at her side but she wasn't fighting him. Jacob pressed his lips to her temple and Bella sighed. He turned her around, lifted her hair and brushed his mouth over the shell of her ear. Her legs wobbled, so he tightened his hold around her waist. "I'm a jealous asshole. You have ever right to throw me out. I want to throw myself out and punish myself severely for putting you through all this, but I... " he couldn't even finish because one hand covered his and her other one reached up to pull his head closer.

Fuck.

He'd gone so long without her body fussed with his. How had he'd maintained any boundaries when this was all he craved? He pushed his hips against the swell of her ass so there'd be no doubts about what he really wanted... needed.

Erectile dysfunction was laughable, not when he was with Bella. The only problem he had in that realm was concealing how often she did that to him. Jacob honed in on his mark since her top fell off one shoulder. He attached his mouth there and sucked the sensitive skin in between his teeth. He'd never been so aggressive with it, but he knew exactly what even the slightest touch from him there did to her.

She let a moan escape her lips before she said his name, followed by, "we can't," which was barely audible.

Yes, they could because she was all he could think about. He didn't care about anything else. Jacob guided her back inside the room and turned Bella towards the wall. He pried her hands off him and placed them against the wall. He started to kiss her neck and shoulders. Her skin was like a potent cocktail and he was already wasted.

She tried to turn around but he wouldn't let her. His left hand covered both of hers as his mouth lavished attention to the mark. His right hand searched for more. He went under her shirt to palm her bare breast.

Bella pleaded with him, but it was no longer words of warning or disdain. "Jake, please... "

"Please what, honey?" he growled in her ear.

"Please, touch me. Oh, God... more. I want more. I need you so bad, I can't think straight."

All she ever had to do was ask. His knee nudged her legs further apart, he let go of her hands, but she wasn't thinking about moving away anymore. Jacob used both hands to give care and eventually pleasure to her body. He rubbed up and down her naked thighs a few times. She whimpered. Jake tilted her head to the side, bit down on his mark as one hand slipped in the leg of her tiny shorts. He was eager to push the panties aside next. A millisecond later, he was in contact with her heat again.

"Yes," she said almost too loud, but that urged him on. He was giving her what she needed and it wouldn't take long. Jacob pushed two fingers inside her as his thumb circled her clit.

He only lifted his mouth enough to growl out how wet she was. "That's for me, isn't it?"

She didn't answer him, so he slightly pulled his hand back to tease her. She grabbed his wrist. "Don't stop. Please, of course, it is. No one else makes me like this. I promise."

"Good girl. I thought so. I'm going to give you a reward. Do you wanna come, Bells?"

"Yes," she panted, "yes... please, Jake."

He upped his intensity and a minute later, Bella was hitting the wall with one hand and squeezing her other one around his wrist to the point her nails dug into his skin. She bucked her hips and he felt her fulfillment spill onto his fingers.

His next move was always in the back of his mind but it never was possible until now. He turned her around, pressed her back into the wall and hoisted her up much like he'd done that night in the hotel. She wrapped her legs tightly around his torso. Then she pulled his neck so that finally, once again, his mouth was pressed against hers. The kiss was raw and needy, but more satisfying than he could possibly remember. Her taste, her warmth, her touch surrounded him. What he wouldn't give to be buried in her sweet body again. They had to stop, slow down, come to their senses, but he couldn't and she didn't, so he moved his hand in between them to start removing the barrier of clothing.

A door shut. Jacob heard it. She was still trying to devour him. "Bells."

She hummed against his lips and plunged her tongue deeper into his mouth. He heard steps next, then a knock. He pulled back. They were so fucking busted. If it was Kaleigh, she'd be screaming, wouldn't she?

"B... let me in."

Barry. Still busted but not nearly as troublesome for them.

That, she heard. "Oh my God." Bella's head hit the wall, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. He let her slide down his body. Her top was hiked up, half of her was exposed to him. She adjusted her clothes. He tried to stop her.

"I'll go."

She looked down at his erection which stood out even in the darkness. "No, you wait, hide or something."

* * *

Bella went to the door. Jacob listened. Barry was gushing about his night out with Collin. "It was soooo good, still just a friend thing, but I swear there's a spark. Tell me I'm not crazy."

"I'm sure you're not, but Jesus Bar, are you drunk? You smell like a brewery."

"You know what's so sexy. Collin drank as much as me and he was stone cold sober. The man can hold his liquor and I wanted to do wicked, drunken things with him, but don't fret, I didn't embarrass myself. I was fun, he even said so."

Jacob couldn't very well hide much longer. He needed to get the hell out of there. Now that his brain was functioning again, how long had he'd been gone? The only thing he could hope for was Kaleigh was asleep. He was damn lucky she hadn't been the one to barge in. He knew things were history with them, but he had been careful. He was following his lawyers advice so far and the first thing on the list was, "keep it simple with your son's mother, strictly platonic. You don't want her to claim infidelity. The child was conceived prior to the marriage."

Practically nailing Bella to the wall was about the least platonic thing he could do with her.

The next thing Barry said was accusatory, "Oh, no you didn't."

"Didn't what? I think you should grab a shower and go to bed."

"Nope, here I thought I had a good first, non-date story, but you look funny girl. I know you. What did you do with the persistent hottie?"

"Nothing. It was just a dinner and we played golf."

Barry laughed. Jacob repeated it in his head. _They played golf at night and that's why she was so late._ Damn, Mack was lame as hell. Why had he worried so much earlier?

"Since when does golf give you sex hair? Oh. My. God. He's here, isn't he. Wait, did I notice a car? Oh wow, the big guy's going to explode. Nice one, B. This will get him to take notice."

"Will you shut up and please lower your voice. Atticus had trouble falling asleep. Mackenzie didn't come inside with me. You're drunk and delusional. Shower. Now."

"Will you let me sleep in your bed then? I need cuddles, I'm feeling so warm and fuzzy right now."

That was the last bit Jacob was listening to. He stepped out in the open. "I don't think so, buddy. Get a shower like Bells asked you to and pass out on the couch."

"Jake," she gritted her teeth.

"Oh, hell no. You have got to be shitting me right now... both of you. What did I tell you, Little Bit? You've got to make him earn it, not pass it out freely, not this way. His goddamn wife is so close, you can reach out and touch her."

Bells was right, Barry was drunk as hell. He needed to pipe down and stay out of it. Jacob put his hand on his shoulder and the idiot took a swing at him. "Settle down. Trust me, you don't want to go a round with me, I don't care what athleticism you possessed in high school. Bella asked you nicely to leave her alone. If you wake up the kid, you're in deep shit."

"You promised, jerk. You said you wouldn't use her."

It took two seconds to get Barry to his knees. Jacob had his arm twisted behind his back. "Barry, you know I like you and I don't want to hurt you, but this isn't your fucking business. I'm definitely not going to hash it out with your drunk ass before Bells and I have a chance to talk. Now get a shower and go pass out anywhere that's not next to Bella. She's not your substitute, warm body tonight." He knew Barry was a non-threat, but he couldn't stand the thought of any male near her after he'd been so intimate with her only minutes before.

Of course, Bella was behind him, hitting his back the whole time, insisting he let Barry go. When he finally could stand up straight, Barry headed into the bathroom. She was pissed or regretting things or just as wound up as him.

"You're next. Listen to me for once and get out."

"Bells, honey. We still need to talk."

"No, not happening. I have work tomorrow. Do you even realize how long I've been home. What are you going to tell her?"

He wasn't thinking that far ahead. He just needed to make things right with Bella, get their issues straightened out. He'd been nuts while she was on a date, but what he did with her in the bedroom was so much more than marking his territory.

Bella wouldn't listen, she kept pushing him towards the door. He was giving up for tonight, but he had to get her alone soon, so he could tell her everything. Wow, how quickly things could change when the moment of passion disappeared. Jacob stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up the driveway. Collin had parked, he and Leah were leaning against his car talking. They both looked at him. They were yards away and it was pitch dark, but the expressions were clear to him.

 _What the fuck are you up to, Black?_

He didn't have a clue... nothing new there.

 _ **~Thanks so much for reading.**_

 _ **I know you all have opinions. Give me your worst and your best, please. I actually mean that. I've shown such restraint up until this point, but you all knew something was bound to happen sooner or later. The sexual tension between these two is palpable.**_

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(On a side note: this story or my style is not for everyone, I'm fully aware of that. I don't write to be perfect, I write for lots of reasons, mainly as an escape, but also to get better and try new things, even risky topics that I don't condone. So don't even get me started on my opinions on infidelity in RL, but it happens even to nice, normal people. This fic came with a warning from the start. I used to get all bent out of shape over negative reviews, but they are part of life. I don't have to defend my characters. If they're behaving badly, then I expect to hear opinions that reflect that. However, if I am failing you, the reader with every aspect in this piece of fiction, then why the heck are you still reading? That is all I have to say about that.)


	31. Chapter 31

_**~A/N So yeah, I've been off my game. I'll try and do better. If you sent me a little note this week, I really appreciate that. It's super encouraging, never a bother even you know who that PM's almost daily. LOL! You know who you are.**_

Chapter 31: Opposition

Her legs felt like mush. She didn't stand long in the shower spray before sinking down to a squatting position. Bella held her legs a little while until she eventually collapsed down on her bottom. She looked up and let the water hit her in the face, so she'd never know how many tears actually fell from her eyes. She had to wash it all away, but it didn't seem to be working. She couldn't stop feeling Jake, his hands all over her, his mouth against hers.

She didn't have much hot water left since Barry took a shower first, so she soon hit the water off and watched the rest of the residual water drain down the tub. Over thirteen months of progress essentially washed down the drain. It was all a lie. She made herself believe she didn't need him like she thought she did in his hotel room the night everything changed. It would never stop, no matter what she tried. He was jealous of Mack and there was absolutely no reason. Bella didn't tell him half the time at dinner she struggled not to lose her meal. He was nice, she could tell he was working the charm full force, but anytime he was flirty, she got physically ill. _The mark._ What the other imprints told her was true. The lightning didn't come down, but something was taking place from within: irritation, frustration, nausea, and a overall feeling of malaise.

She didn't have a miserable time by any means. If Mackenzie was less pushy and only acting friendly, she was fine, but every time the sneaky sly moves started, she wanted to scream. Touching. That was the worst. His hands on her gave her the heebie jeebies. Jacob's hands on her were an entirely different sensation. She had to be the most shameful slut around, 'touch me.' She practically begged for a married man to touch her.

Bella meant what she said, this living situation was over. She was getting out of there as soon as possible. She was happy Barry had a good time with Collin, but what a night for him to be so inebriated, he couldn't make sense. She needed his sound advice, no matter that he'd already given it and she totally ignored his warnings. She struggled not to be completely consumed with narcissism. Barry couldn't put his life on hold to deal with her crap every single day. He'd already moved for her, took excellent care of her son. What more did she wish to ask of him?

Bella slipped on some cotton yoga pants and an over-sized sleep shirt. She found Barry passed out in her bed, so she was going to the couch. It wasn't because Jake said so either. She really couldn't be close to anyone right now after what happened. Of course, Atticus was different. She thought how he'd had a bad night. Strange, could their small child sense that everything wasn't as it should be? She needed to see him, touch him once before attempting to sleep. Jacob said he didn't eat enough, so chances were that he was not sleeping all night anyway. She had been full too, so once she kicked Jake out, she pumped while Bar was in the shower.

Bella slid the door quietly that led into Atticus's space. The first thing she noticed was a restless sort of breathing. Maybe he was already awake. She took a step towards his bed, he was moving his head around and she distinctly heard some congestion that had not been evident early that day. Poor baby. He must be coming down with a cold. That was why he was cross with Jake. Was she that dumb, she didn't realize her son was getting sick? She immediately stop berating herself as the worst mother ever when she remembered he was at the pediatrician's office two days prior and he gave him a clean bill of health. The cold must have come on quickly, so she could hardly blame herself for that.

She struggled with the decision of fully waking him and seeing if she could ease his congestion somehow. She'd read the baby books, so maybe there were a few remedies that could help him. Bella reached for her son. He whimpered as soon as her fingers grazed his cheek.

Oh my goodness. He was so warm. She didn't hesitate to lift him from the crib. Maybe her fingers weren't an accurate way to tell, especially since she'd recently been so close with his father, considering how hot he ran. Bella pressed her cheek against Atticus's forehead, still so hot. He was awake, but barely making a peep. She was used to his strong lungs letting her know when he was hungry or uncomfortable about anything.

She walked into the bedroom. "Bar."

Barry didn't move. He wasn't going to be any help in his condition, so she grabbed a blanket to shield Atticus from the night air, stuffed her wallet and cell phone in the baby's bag and started down to the garage. She looked at the door that led to the walkway. She had to get Jacob. For one, she felt too unnerved to drive and she wasn't even sure where she should be taking him. Bella left the bag on the car's hood and headed to the side door of the house. That was the door with the combination, but Jacob was most likely awake. It hadn't been that long since he left. She knocked at first and waited. No one made a noise and she honestly had no idea what the set up was inside. Maybe the bedroom was clear across the other side of the house. She could call him, but she realized she'd left her phone in the bag.

He gave her the code for emergencies. Their son was burning up with fever and listless, that constituted an emergency in her book, so she punched in the numbers to unlock the deadbolt. As soon as she pushed inside, a shrill chime sounded from a blinking panel on the wall. If they were sleeping, then surely that alerted them someone was inside.

It took her only a few seconds to realize the chime wasn't the only sound in the background. There was soft music playing coming from a hidden source, but there was so much more involved. The living area was lit with candles as well. What in the hell was she walking in on? The atmosphere was clearly romantic, but she couldn't allow her mind to go there. Would Jake step out of her room straight into his own with Kaleigh? Maybe he was that frustrated, they were interrupted and she hadn't reciprocated. This was all a giant mistake. She should turn around and scream for Leah instead. She would alert her alpha there was an emergency. Bella had no business ever walking in their home. She clutched Atticus a little tighter and turned around.

"Bella," he shouted from across the room. Jacob rushed over to the panel and punched in some numbers. "What's wrong?" He was fully dressed so maybe she was wrong with her initial assumptions. He didn't wait for her answer. He pulled back the blanket. "What's wrong with him?"

Kaleigh came into view next. She, on the other hand was not fully dressed. She was wearing something very alluring, but was making a point of covering up with a long, silky white robe. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doing, breaking in here? I should call the cops."

"Quiet!" Jacob yelled at her. "Bells, why does he look like that?"

"I don't know, he's really sick. I think we should take him to a doctor, but I don't know where to go."

"Calm down. It's going to be fine." Jacob turned around and told Kaleigh he was taking them to the hospital. She surprised Bella by coming forward and reaching out to touch the baby.

Kaleigh gasped, "He's so hot. He was fine earlier, but then he did get super cranky. It wasn't like him. Wait, I can change and go with you."

Jacob told her to stay since she had lots of work the next day and that he'd call her when they knew something. He walked Bella and Atticus out to her car since his car seat was in there. She buckled him in and sat in the back. Jacob stuck his head outside the door. Bella saw a glimpse of Leah. He'd whistled for her when they were on the walkway.

They started driving. He told her he was going to the the hospital that was a little further because he'd done some research and found out they had the best pediatric department. Jacob truly was a great father. Bella hadn't even thought about researching the local hospitals when she first moved there.

"Bells, about what you saw... "

"Please, just drive, get us there as fast as you can safely. I don't want to talk about it. He's all I can think about right now."

"I know, but... "

"Please don't. I can't, okay."

They drove a few more minutes. Jacob told her he remembered Rachel talking about something similar one time with Sage. "Little kids spike fevers sometimes. It turned out to be a virus. I'm sure he'll be fine as soon as it runs it's course."

"I know, but he seems so pitiful and he's so young. I'm really scared. How did I miss this?"

"You don't think I feel bad too. What if my insane temperature kept me from knowing how hot he was getting? I should've known something wasn't right. I was too preoccupied with your stupid date."

"We shouldn't blame ourselves. He was fine at his checkup."

"Yeah, I bet some germ filled kid was in the room or something before us. Do you think they sanitize between patients?"

She was sure they did. Talking to him distracted her some and Atticus was sleeping again. He seemed a little better in his car seat. The upright position had helped his breathing.

"She blindsided me."

Bella didn't respond. She told him she didn't want to talk about it, but maybe she needed to listen.

"I mean it. I need you to know that much, I would never. I mean, you and I were, well, you know... then I went home expecting to go to the guest room where I've been banished this entire time. She and I are not that way anymore. We've had problems our entire marriage, or I have."

She remembered something Edward said about that too, which was extremely weird for him to bring up.

"Okay, it shouldn't be any of my business."

"Yeah, well it kinda is your business and we both know why. I've been pretending for a long time and I honestly have no idea why or what I was trying to prove. I know I've acted like a dumbass. Believe me, I hear it almost everyday, by my pack, our dads, the council. I wanted to prove them all wrong, but how can I when they're right? Also, I don't know why I've waited so long to spit it out, but I'm divorcing her."

"Jake... " Bella saw the emergency room lights right after his declaration. They both stopped talking.

He pulled in and found a spot. He reached in for the seat. She grabbed the bag. Jacob put his free arm around her. "Let's take care of our son. You're right, everything else can wait."

* * *

Bella was about to lose her mind waiting, but at least they'd gotten to Atticus quickly. He was top priority because of his age and high temperature. The pediatrician on call quickly noted his breathing was a little labored, so he ordered a breathing treatment. He also had double ear infections. The high fever was cause for concern so they started an IV to keep him from being dehydrated. He'd ordered some blood work but all signs pointed to an upper respiratory infection. RSV was especially bad for young infants. They tried to reassure her, they caught it early.

She sat nestled into Jacob's side in a private waiting area. Atticus had actually perked up a little. He was finally having a feeding. "Told you he'd be fine."

"We're still waiting on the blood tests."

"It's a virus, Bells. The doctor said so."

"He said most likely." She couldn't help worrying, her child had gone from perfectly fine to extremely ill to showing huge signs of improvement in only a few hours. Her mind was all over the place. What if Atticus had a mysterious illness? She couldn't help wondering if this was Karma. Bella said so to Jake and he quickly disputed her theory.

"He's an innocent baby, Bells. Our personal mistakes didn't cause this. Kids get sick. That's life."

She knew he was being the rational one, but she'd just let a married man give her an orgasm. There had to be some repercussions to that. They couldn't just get away with it. The universe didn't work that way. Did it?

After a quick rap at the door, the doctor stuck his head inside. "Mr. and Mrs. Black," Bella felt Jacob squeeze her shoulder, but neither of them disputed the mistake. "You ready to get this little guy home?"

Bella was so relieved. He went ahead to explain, Atticus did have a virus. He told her not to worry too much about the ears, but she explained how Renee told her she'd had tubes as a toddler. He said they would wait and see. He suspected Atticus could easily grow out of his ear problems. He was giving him a dose of antibiotics in the IV to clear up the infection. The virus would run it's course. He was giving them a prescription for a nebulizer in case he started wheezing again. The doctor complimented them for being so conscientious. He was confident they could care for their son at home, some cases were much worse and required hospitalization.

They weren't going to have to wait much longer. Once, the medicine was finished and the paperwork completed, they were going home. When they were alone again, she asked Jacob why he didn't speak up.

"About what? He covered all my questions thoroughly."

"He thinks we're married."

"So. I'm sure it was a simple mistake. He's a busy doctor, you think he has time to read about our marital status?"

Hearing the slip up did weird things to her, but she tried to blow it off like he had. Jacob asked to hold his son to see if he could get him to sleep. Now that she wasn't so worried, Bella started feeling how tired she was as well. Jacob told her to rest her head on his shoulder. "Close your eyes for a minute Bells. Leah's already alerted the guys. Collin doesn't expect you to go in." Jake said he had to work some, but he was going to try and take the afternoon off. She knew he desperately wanted to talk and if she wasn't so tired, she was almost just as anxious to start, but they could wait. Obviously, they'd waited for a long time to get it all off their chests.

Bella was surprised she actually drifted off, but when someone knocked again, she had trouble coming around. Of course, she thought it was the doctor or a nurse, someone with the paperwork.

Jacob's voice shocked her, "Kaleigh."

Bella snapped to attention, pulled away from Jacob as quick as she possibly could which no doubt made her look even more guilty. She was guilty with good reason.

"I just couldn't sleep. I was worried."

She said she got his message, but she'd planned in going in her office early, so she got up and came there first. Atticus was on his father's chest sound asleep. Jacob told her in great detail what the doctor told them. Kaleigh, honestly seemed concerned. Bella felt out of place the whole time Jacob discussed things with his wife. She couldn't make eye contact but then if she didn't, wouldn't they make her look like she was hiding something?

"He looks so much better and he seems pretty content right now. I'm so glad." The nurse came in to remove the IV which woke him up, so Bella offered to take him. She nudged Jacob, maybe he needed to speak to Kaleigh in private.

Before they stepped out, Bella got the courage to say something. "Thanks for checking on him."

Kaleigh halfway smiled and she realized it was the first non-hostile moment between them.

* * *

Maybe Jacob was acting in haste. Bella was more conflicted than ever. She didn't want to be the deciding factor behind the demise of Jacob's marriage. She, no doubt played a part. It was stupid to try and deny that, but for some reason, she got the feeling there was more to the story. Bella saw first hand what a bitch Kaleigh could be, but there was reason for that. He swore in the beginning she was different and Bella just caught a glimpse of a another side to Kaleigh and her guilt had never been more real. Given all the circumstances of the last few weeks, could they even trust that Kaleigh's niceties didn't have ulterior motives beneath them?

Now that her son was much better, it was easier to recall the romantic scene she intruded on. Jacob admitted they weren't sleeping together. She assumed that was as long as she'd been back in his life. That was a long time for a man to go without sex. Actually, that was a long time for any healthy person that was accustomed to being intimate with their partner. Of course, Bella was different. She could shut that part off for incredibly long lengths of time. Then again, that's what got her into trouble more than once with Jacob, being so deprived, so starved for that connection, but it was only with him, that she caved. Maybe Kaleigh was about to combust, she was in close proximity to Jacob more than anyone. It was strange to Bella that this night was when it happened. She was out with Mackenzie and Kaleigh enjoyed a night with Jacob and Atticus. That was enough to push Kaleigh into a romantic mood?

The more minutes that passed, the harder she thought about all the possibilities. Also, the longer he was gone talking to Kaleigh, the more she worried he was actually changing his mind. Which was it? She didn't want him to act hastily and end his marriage or she desperately wanted him to close that chapter. It would take all her willpower to stand firm. If Jake broke up with Kaleigh permanently, that couldn't mean he and Bella would jump right into where they left off. They had to start a new story, because the old one was riddled with mistakes and errors. She honestly didn't know if they had a chance, but only a few hours before, she never even considered that possibility. She was wavering between hopeful and a state of despair, an emotional purgatory. So much was changing or maybe some things were always going to be exactly the same and that was truly the most frightening part of it all.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**~These long chapters stress me out for editing, but this is what my readers ask for.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 32: Changing Circumstance

Bella rolled over. She was alone in her bed. It took a few minutes to gain her bearings. Jacob brought them inside just before six in the morning. Barry had gotten up to take a few aspirin and found her messages. He was super concerned, so he made sure she and Atticus were fine before he left her room to try and get a little more rest on his couch bed. She was up every hour at first, but then the baby gave her a three hour stretch of sleep. She was ready to climb out of the bed when he awakened most likely for the day around 11:30, but Barry took him. He told her to rest a bit longer. He could give him a bottle and take care of him. She only planned to rest fifteen, twenty minutes. She glanced at her phone. Holy hell, it was two in the afternoon.

Bella stepped out into the living area. Barry and Leah were eating at the table. Atticus was asleep in the swing. Wow, her friends were great. She saw an apparatus on the counter. "Hey, is that the nebulizer?"

Barry answered. "Yep, Poppa dropped it off just after 8. He waited for the medical supply shop to open." Jacob must have skipped trying to get any rest. "He's at work, not sure what he's accomplishing. He calls or texts every 20 minutes to check on you and the little prince."

She didn't respond outwardly, but on the inside, she felt an overwhelming tug at her emotions.

"Did you use it?"

Leah answered, "Yeah, we gave him a treatment because he got a little more congested after his bottle."

"Is he okay? Should I call the doctor? How'd you know how?" Bella hadn't even read the instructions.

Leah said he seemed fine after the treatment. He was happy, playing in the swing and then fell asleep only about thirty minutes ago. "When in doubt, Mom knows best. I called her and she walked me through it step by step. I'll show you when he wakes up."

"Gee, thanks so much, Leah. I need to call Mom and Dad. I bet they're worried."

"We've been keeping them updated. They said they'd come up if you need them. Jake had food sent over. I promised him you'd eat, so here's yours." Bella opened the containers. Good gracious, did Jacob think she was a lumberjack? There was a grilled chicken pasta, a giant Caesar salad, bread and a side of grilled vegetables. "There's cannolis too. Don't worry, I blocked this guy from his third one."

"Don't listen to her, B. This one's shifty. She ate like a horse, no idea how she keeps that svelte figure." Bella's lips formed a smile. It was nice to see them getting along. She was feeling closer to Leah every time they crossed paths even if they hadn't said much since the day at the clinic.

"I'm sure I have plenty. I'm starved but there's no way I can even eat half this stuff." Bella walked closer and started to make a plate. Barry stood up. He let her have his spot. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He apologized for not being lucid for her. "It's fine. You couldn't have known. It all happened so fast."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I feel like poo. I should've never drank so much, but that hot, beefy man makes me nervous." Leah snickered from across the table. "I'm going out for a run. I need to purge the rest of this alcohol via sweat. You two beauties have a nice chat."

* * *

Once Barry left, Leah started talking. "We never got to know each other too well, because let's face it, I hated you back then. However, you've come a long way, but from what I've observed, it still sucks to be you." She grabbed another slice of garlic toast and started chewing.

Bella paused a few seconds, but agreed wholeheartedly, "Um, yeah, sounds pretty accurate."

"Damn Swan, how did you end up here? I really want to know. I've been out of the loop so long because let's be honest, it sucked to me for a long time as well. I'm stuck here now and that's pretty much all your doing, so I'd really like some answers."

Bella chose to eat more than talk. Leah didn't beat around the bush and she was making her a little apprehensive. "I'm not really sure what you want me to say. Of course, I'm grateful to each one of you for the sacrifices you're making. I'm so sorry about your job and the entire upheaval you were forced to endure."

"No, don't do that. I asked how did _you_ end up here? Where's the woman from the clinic? She seemed to know what was up."

Bella looked around for some stupid reason. No one else was there. Leah meant her, that much was clear. "I... I'm not following."

"You're second in command. You're his equal, not his subordinate. Speak up, you're not that mousy teenage wimp anymore. No one's dazzling you. Come on, why are you here?"

"Well, you know how the story goes from the beginning. Jake needs to know his son his safe at all times."

"He'd be safer on the reservation."

"But Jake lives here. He has no choice."

That only made Leah laugh which in turn started to piss Bella off a bit and she was certain her face reflected it. "Stop, I don't know what's so funny. Nothing about this is amusing."

"Now we're getting somewhere. That's the fire I saw before. You're going to need that and then some to get this situation turned on it's ass. Don't settle for this. He doesn't belong with the property princess. We all need to get our asses back to reservation until we finally figure out what your creepy stalker intends to do."

"What about Jake's job?"

"He hates it."

Bella never heard him say that. She never had talked to him much about why he became an architect or if he was doing what he really wanted. Leah added Seth and Amy were moving back as soon as she graduated in the spring.

"What about Collin?"

"Well, he has something he wanted to propose, but Jacob told him to wait. There are other options being talked about."

Talking. That's what she and Jacob really needed to accomplish, the sooner the better. Leah passed Bella a cannoli. "Oh wow, that's good. I haven't had one of these in forever." She wiped the excess cream from her lips and gave Leah permission to take the last one. She was barely going to be able to finish the one she had.

"Better than sex, eh?"

Bella blushed, not exactly so she kept mum.

"Speaking of sex, good thing you held the manwhore off. You don't need that complication." Leah spoke of Mack like she knew him.

"Wait, is this from Jake or you talking from experience?"

Leah said she unexpectedly attended Jacob's wedding which pissed the bride off. She never RSVP'd. "Cousin MacDick tried his damnedest with me, but I didn't take the bait. He was fresh off one of the bridesmaids when he started circling me like a damn shark. I didn't have my superior senses then, but I could spot skank pussy a mile away and he was covered in it. I saw them coming out of one of the tents. That guy's trouble. I know you don't want to go there, so kudos for holding out."

Bella never thought a second about being with Mack, marked or not. She had taken his friendship offer at face value, but Leah's honesty made her think twice. Jacob said he had a list and she accused him of just being jealous or ridiculous. She hadn't even heard one word from him since he left her in the driveway. He didn't even walk her up.

The sweets gave her the boost to say what Leah was fishing to hear. "Yeah, Mackenzie's irrelevant. I guess you're not going to stop until I say it. I can't leave Jacob. It's hard enough to tell him no about anything, but I need to be close to him. I think things are about to change, we're going to start a new course."

"Don't think, give him an ultimatum. Tell him you won't be used, that you and your son come first, not that bitch he shackled himself to as penance." Bella thought that sounded a bit selfish and Leah insisted this wasn't the time for selflessness. "You never had problems before, quit trying to be the fucking martyr."

She went onto to say she went from hate to respect and back to hate again when she realized how Jake dealt with his imprint. It made her wonder why Sam couldn't even muster up a tenth of that strength to fight his imprint to Emily. "Jacob was allowing you the choice while Sam pushed Emily from the start. He dropped me so fast, I bounced."

Bella corrected her. "Jacob thought he was giving me a choice, but I didn't have all the information. I don't see how that enabled me to make sound decisions. It's obvious, I didn't."

"That's true. It's not black and white like we all thought. See, we all struggle to make sense of it, even when we aren't directly involved."

Bella asked Leah if she was okay, like really okay with how her life had turned out. "Yeah. In all honesty, I can't picture myself with Sam. I'm not the girl he dated in high school anymore and Emily is so much better suited for him. I don't even have hard feelings anymore. I know that's what they all thought because I stayed gone, but there were other reasons. I stayed over at their house the other night, hung out with the kids. Emily and I drank a bottle of wine and made a pan of brownies."

"I'm never cooking with Kaleigh."

"Hell no, I wouldn't let you. I think we can all agree, the situation is quite different and she doesn't belong in our group. He picked the polar opposite of you to try and fight his heart's desire. It's a good thing you two got together and forgot that sex makes babies. I feel like that sweet little boy there was the only thing that was ever going to stop you both from your complete and utter destruction."

Bella watched her son rock back and forth in the swing. Rescuing his two stubborn, slightly misguided parents was a tall order for such a tiny baby, but maybe there was some truth to Leah's assessment. She often thought of that phone call and all the times she'd watched it go to voice mail. The last time, the day before they conceived Atticus, it almost felt like an invisible force ignited in her body and moved through her until her fingers had no choice but to answer. Life had only be livable for so many years and no matter how fucked up everything was at the moment, it was honestly the happiest she'd been. She almost added for ten years, but actually it was in forever. Having their son made her happy, strengthening friendships with the pack and reconnecting with her parents made her happy. Being around Jacob, even if it was only five minutes was one of her favorite parts of the day.

* * *

He knocked about an hour later. Bella was sitting on the couch feeding Atticus. He was sounding so much better than he had in the night. His breathing was barely congested. Leah had gone for a run around the perimeter and Barry never came back so she wasn't sure what he was up to. Jacob went straight to the fridge and pulled out some of the leftovers.

"Did you eat?"

"Yes, tons, but there's still plenty. Warm up whatever you want." Jacob started a plate heating in the microwave. He walked over to them, leaned over and kissed his son's head never even blinking an eye that he was at the breast. They were so laid back and casual now when they spent time together, just the three of them.

"No more fevers."

"None that I can tell. He's doing really great. Thanks for getting the nebulizer so early."

Jacob brought his food over and sat in the chair. She continued to nurse the baby who appeared to be catching up for not having much of an appetite the day before. She asked if Kaleigh was still working.

"Yeah, she and her realty group are celebrating tonight. They are going out for dinner and drinks."

Atticus finished up eating about the same time as Jake. Bella passed him off so father and son could enjoy each other. Jacob held Atticus's hand up for a high five. "You beat that virus in record time. That's my boy." Bella told him how the morning went and how he was with Leah and Barry.

"You caught up on some rest."

"Yes, I got more than I imagined, but you didn't."

"Naw, but I'll catch up tonight. Do you feel like talking?"

She did. It seemed more than necessary. Bella merely shook her head up and down. She spread out the baby's quilt. He should be content playing and rolling while they spoke. Bella wasn't sure what to discuss first. It seemed he had the most weighing heavily on his mind.

Jacob blew all the air out of his lungs. He looked back and forth to her and their son a few times. "He's such a good baby. I'm glad he's too young to know what a fuck up his father is."

"Jake, that's not even true. You're the best father he could ever need. We're human, well... you know what I mean. We've made mistakes, both of us."

He said he really needed to hear what transpired during that visit from Selene. Bella told him how she didn't waste much time before offering up the check. She kept the pieces. She jumped up to pull them from a drawer in the kitchen. Jacob pieced them together in his lap and looked disgusted.

"I refused, Mom showed up. She was rude and insulting, a rich, hateful bigot. She doubled the offer as she was leaving. You know I'd never take money and run away. I mean, I already ran once, but I would never do something so reckless with our child."

"I know. Can you tell me anything else about her? How'd she look?"

"Huh?"

"Did she seem alright physically, I mean. I haven't seen her since the birthday party. I keep asking Kay about running by. This is the longest she's ever gone without dragging me over to her parents' place. Bells, there's stuff going on. Kaleigh's acting out, so to speak. I have to shoulder some of the blame for my betrayal, but I can't live like this."

Bella had no idea what he meant. She explained things he must already know. Selene obviously took care of herself. She wore expensive clothes and accessories. She wasn't sure what else he was interested in.

"She had cancer a long time ago, before I knew Kaleigh."

"Oh."

"Kaleigh says it's back but no one's supposed to know. I'm 99% sure she's lying."

"About cancer?" The first question in Bella's mind was, _who does that?_

"I couldn't let myself believe it at first either, but Embry agrees with me now. The others disputed it from the start, we were the last two holdouts."

"Oh, wow. That's wrong and crazy and unbelievable and a bunch of other stuff I can't wrap my mind around. Why Embry? I thought he was a big supporter."

"He was. He was doing just that last week when he had watch. He had dinner with her in the house." Bella remembered. Most of the guys ate with her and Barry, but Embry turned them down. "He listened to her side to everything, tried to be a friend because he's always cared for her, but she did something that changed his mind."

"Like?"

"She made a move on him, kissed him."

"No way, poor Emb. That must have been confusing. He's trying to do that right thing, she's using him."

"We know. I mean, he knows now. Of course, he stopped her and told me that same night when we went over the patrol report."

Jacob said he wasn't even jealous. He was just angry that his brother was caught in the middle of his drama. Part of it made sense he guessed. "Maybe that's what people that get cheated on do. I hurt her, she hurts me."

Bella realized fairly quick Jacob hadn't confronted her yet. She helped Atticus out of a jam like he was used to getting into when he rolled as far as he could go. She kissed his head and started him in the other, unobstructed direction. She resided with her son mere feet from Kaleigh who only hours before seemed genuinely concerned for his well being. However, this description given by Jacob made her sound like a crazy person. Barry had an appointment for them to visit a townhouse later in the week. She thought that was for the best.

Jacob started telling her a little more about his lawyer appointments. "At first, he advised me not to abandon the property. I was looking at everything from a financial standpoint, but I hardly care now. Kaleigh has been spending money we don't have. I'm not sure how many credit cards she's ran up. I helped design this house, but nothing materialistic seems important now. I just want to let it all go back, cut my losses. My job is very political. I'm not suited to be at firm like this. It's not what I had in mind at all. We're not going to make much on the house if we sell it so soon. I'll be responsible for half these bills."

"Jacob, why are you telling me all this?"

"I don't want you to worry. I'll figure something out. I'll work two jobs if I have to, but she's probably wrecking my credit as we speak."

Bella hardly cared about Jake's credit. "I know you will and I'll keep working, I can take the car back. Bar and I can share."

"No, you like the Jetta. It's not that much. I'll sell my car before I make you give yours up. I never liked it. She picked it out."

"Yes, well it's kinda boring for a car buff like yourself."

"Definitely. Bells, we need to go back to the res. I mean I know you'll probably go to Charlie's which will be way easier on the pack than what I'm asking of them right now. I put my notice in this morning. I literally have until tomorrow to break it all to Kaleigh. Mack will find out soon enough."

Bella brought up Collin and Barry and the townhouse they were hoping to move into. Jacob told her Collin had an idea that he wanted to bring her in on, something he always wanted to try on the reservation. Jacob offered to pay for Barry to move wherever he wanted to go, but Bella was thinking he might really be enjoying Washington now. They'd argued several times the past month about her staying in Seattle, finding her own place or going to Charlie's. She didn't know what all was going on exactly, but she didn't feel like arguing anymore. Leah had said it earlier and now Jacob was saying it. She agreed, "Okay, I'll call Dad and give him the news tonight. Hopefully, Mom's working on a plan for herself." The thought of the four of them under one roof seemed a bit too much.

"Okay? That's all you have to say?"

"Yes. Would you rather me call you names and pitch a fit?"

"Maybe. That's what feels normal."

"Tell me the truth. How are you feeling about this whole Kaleigh situation? Was she faking at the hospital? You want to divorce her, you don't sleep in the same room and yet last night she wanted to be romantic? That strikes me as odd. Does she know?"

"I think in some way she does. I honestly cared for her once. It was never enough to warrant marriage. I admit that now. She can't handle defeat. I'm not sure if she's ever lost at something. Do I trust her at all anymore? No, I don't think so. However, I think her concern was genuine, she loves children and let's face it, our kid is quite lovable. I don't think she wants to be acting this way, but once she started, she can't stop."

"She feels bad. Edward said so."

"Wait, what? The tick?"

"He read her. The lie."

"What lie ?"

"He knew she was lying, just not about what and he said she struggles with it which meant she wasn't all bad. It must be the story about her mother."

"Yeah, of course I don't view her as evil, but I'm not going to raise my son anywhere near someone like that. I barely know her now or at least that what it feels like."

Bella's phone vibrated across the tiny side table. Barry had gone to the clinic. She smiled after reading his texts. Collin wanted to show him something and he wondered what that meant. She typed out a quick response to ask him. She didn't know either. Bella added she and Jacob were having a "big talk." He sent one more message and told her not to take off any articles of clothing during said talk.

 **LOL! I won't.**

 **I mean it, not even a sock. Stay fully clothed. You two can't be trusted.**

Jacob watched her. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I think Collin and Barry might end up being a thing."

Jacob grinned like he knew something she didn't, but then he said they'd have to wait and see. "And stay out of it, because we've got our hands full with our own problems."

"Yeah, I'll stay out of it, even though he's never done the same for me."

Her phone vibrated in her hands that time, but it wasn't Barry. It was another notification. The one she'd been avoiding for a while now.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, I saw your face. What's the matter?"

"I... I said something that was only partially true recently."

He took that sort of parental tone with her, "Bells, come on. I thought we weren't going to do that anymore. What is it?"

She chewed her lip, Jacob was going through so much personal shit, why did he always have to have supernatural baggage dropped on top of that? "I said Aro had only chatted me up once, but what I actually meant was, I only listened once. I keep getting messages he's on and wants to talk but I haven't opened my laptop in weeks."

Jacob picked up Atticus and strapped him in the bouncer. "Where is it?"

"My room."

He walked over and took her hand. "Come on. I'm ready to stop this once and for all."

"He can't see you or know I'm with you."

Jacob pointed out Aro already knew he existed, so there was no reason to hide. He always said he wasn't afraid of him, but Bella knew better. He should be. He wanted to let him know, she was under guard now. Bella made excuses, that he might not be available. There was no chance of changing Jake's mind. He was going to listen to how Aro interacted with Bella.

They had a seat on the bed and waited for her laptop to boot up. She never wanted to be close to the baby while she spoke with the ancient vampire. As soon as she got the page opened, it was obvious, he was waiting. She was finally reading all the missed attempts.

"Where are you Isabella?"

"Don't change our agreement?"

"What's preventing you from answering me?"

"Should I send help?"

"I'll send a legion, you're worth that much to me."

"Where's the wee one?"

Bella saw Jake's wolf make an appearance. She was adept at recognizing him now even without the shift. Her hand reached across the distance between them to hold his hand. "It's okay, Jake. I know how to get him to back down. He just needs to see me, hear my voice. You be quiet and still."

He didn't answer her which wasn't reassuring but Bella sent out her excuses. She told Aro she was busy with a new job and her laptop hadn't been working properly. She'd used similar excuses before. A few seconds later, Aro appeared in front of her. He pretended to take a deep cleansing breath for dramatic affect.

"Such relief. I was beginning to fret. I was prepared to come to America and you know how much I detest that dreadful place."

Bella couldn't look over at Jacob, but that wasn't easy, so she squeezed his hand tighter. She told him there was never any need to overreact. "I've gone many weeks before without contact before."

"Yes, correct, even months but never after the fact we established you're in the company of wolves."

"I never said that."

"I didn't need you to say it, I already knew."

Bella acted indignant. "I can't believe you had me followed. You said we had a gentleman's agreement."

"I can't believe you're willing to risk everything and break our agreement. From now on, I'm going to need to hear from you daily."

She didn't have a chance to stop him. Jacob snatched the computer from her. "Change of plans. From now on, Bella never speaks to you again and you will never contact her either. Also, don't ever mention my son from your disgusting lips... don't think about him... forget he exists. If you send another spy, they'll meet with the same fate as the other two you had on my tail. I'm not alone anymore, bloodsucker. Bella has known about you over a decade, it's obvious she can be trusted to protect your secret. She is no longer available for your amusement, so fuck off!"

"Isabella, Isabella..." was all they heard as Jacob shut the laptop slowly.

"You shouldn't have done that. He'll come for me now."

"He already was, Bells. We know that much even without the pixie's spotty visions. Why do you think I rarely sleep? You have no idea how much better the guys are, how hard we train and that I hoped for a new pup or two, but I've got five boys at the high school that are showing signs of phasing. The Cullens are working with us to make sure that happens sooner rather than later." Jacob put the laptop behind him, scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her back. "There's no point to play his games, get yourself worked up pretending that you can appease him. All that does is stress you out. He's been playing you the whole time."

"So Aro was always coming back for me?" She'd never let herself believe that. Bella always thought he was satisfied with their little chats and if she kept them up, he would let her live out a quiet life in peace. She knew he deeply regretted allowing her to leave Italy the first time they crossed paths, he'd said so in a roundabout way, but he also said 'no one can change the past, I can only influence the future.' Now she wondered what that meant.

Jacob rested his head against hers. "I'm going to protect you. I'm letting go of everything else." His wife, his life in Seattle, his job, she knew he was giving it all up for them. "Stop over-thinking, Bells. I know what you do."

"I can't help but wonder where my first misstep was and if I could have changed something."

He made her look at him. "Stop, there's no point. I wasted years having similar thoughts." He was so intense, the way he stared at her, she looked away.

Funny, how they were back in her room, even on her bed, actually touching, but she had to get it off her chest. "Jake, we need to talk about last night."

"I know, my timing sucks as usual, but I'm not sorry even if I should be."

"We can't get carried away like that again. There's so many unresolved issues. I'm not as sorry as I should be either, but I need you to respect my boundaries. You're about to go through a divorce, but that doesn't mean we'll end up together immediately by default. Also, don't touch that mark again, don't look at it, breathe on it, don't even think about it, Jake. You know you're not playing fair when you do."

He couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Okay, Bells, but honestly is it fair to tell me what I can or can't think about?"

Bella shoved him. "I knew it, dirty bastard. You do it on purpose."

"No, not exactly. Look, it's no secret," he motioned his hand back and forth between them, "the physical part is not our issue. Okay, scratch that, I know we have a mountain of problems to sort out, and for me, my physical need for you clouds my judgment that I rarely get to say what I mean, what I want to work on first. Are you similar?"

She nodded her head. She knew exactly what he meant.

"Bells, I feel like I almost need to pretend it's all brand new, like what if I looked at you right now and realized you were my imprint, but the two of us had absolutely zero history. I know that's not being realistic, but I'm going to try to a certain extent. How would I act if that was the truth?"

She tried to imagine it as well, but it seemed impossible. "Our history's important though."

"I know, even the bad parts. It's time I learn from them instead of feeling so much resentment." He paused a few seconds before he finished the rest. "I'm going to be the man you deserve. It won't happen overnight, but I've been trying even if it doesn't seem like it yet."

"It does. I'm trying too."

* * *

Atticus started crying from the other room. Jacob noted the time. He wanted to get some rest and let them get settled down for the evening. He changed a diaper for her, even volunteered when they realized it was a stinky one. He offered to give him a bath as well. Bella squeezed in the tiny bathroom with them because she loved watching how Jacob handled bath time. She thought back to the first time he did so back in LA and how sad she was realizing they'd never be a real family. She was wrong.

The room echoed with splashes, a squeaky toy that Jake poked into Atticus's belly every few minutes and tons of baby giggles. They truly were a family and nothing could steal it away from her: no psycho vampires, crazy exes (Edward included), a bunch of supernatural craziness, not even a painful past. She vowed to keep moving forward, no more dwelling on past mistakes. They were going to start fresh. Their history couldn't be erased or forgotten, but they could rise above it if they tried. Once Jacob carried her up a mountain, now she was strong enough to take his hand so they could climb it together.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I know I changed the frequency of updates. I appreciate your patience. These next few chapters are really a turning point of the entire story.**_

 _ **I posted a one shot in my holiday group, Silver Bells. If you want to read something different and a little dreamy, check it out. I won a contest for most original plot.**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**Planned on holding onto this a few more days, but I'm feeling like a little drama tonight. Who's ready for DRAMA?**_

 _ **Okay, trying again. I submitted the chapter and for a second, my formatting was wonky. Every single sentence was squeezed together. I deleted the chapter and am trying again. If anyone has problems let me know.**_

 _ **Breakup song inspiration is "Cemetery Gates" by Pantera.**_

Chapter 33: Call me Crazy

Jake threw his phone down again. Was she having him followed and knew about the lawyer visits? Surely, his senses were keen enough to spot any fumbling PI a mile away. Kaleigh was avoiding him like the plague. The minute he begged for a meeting, she pulled a constant disappearing act. Either, she was going to sit down and listen tonight or he was ready to pull up stakes and walk away. It was shitty to end a marriage via text, but what other choice did she give him?

He had a slew of unanswered calls and messages. Last night, after talking things out with Bells, he watched a little TV, ate a couple of frozen pizzas and passed out for the night. Kaleigh was nowhere in sight at breakfast. If Mack found out about him quitting his job, he had probably already spilled the news. That stupid prick was going to get what was coming to him.

Jacob had time to think about Mack's sudden interest in Bella from the get-go. She was a beautiful woman. He didn't imagine she went unnoticed by the male species, which made him feel a prickle of heat run through his veins. However, Mackenzie Langston prided himself on being untethered. He didn't form attachments, hated complications and preferred the easy way in almost every situation. Jacob knew that from working with him. Actually, he'd been like that all the way back in college. A single mom with an attachment to his cousin's husband was about as complicated as they came. He wasn't dumb. Kaleigh and Mack thought he was apparently, but she was far too chill about her cousin hanging out with Bella.

The sooner they got outta here, away from these people, the better. He wasn't even bringing Mack up to Bells any longer unless she had something to say. He considered him a non-issue. Bella must have given him the cold shoulder for him not to at least attempt a goodnight kiss. He was only meant as a distraction, but why? That part he hadn't completely figured out.

Jacob's cell phone vibrated... finally. Kaleigh better be on the way home or he was going to where she was. They were having this damn conversation if he had to stay up all night.

He answered annoyed, "Hello."

"Oh, hey, Jake. Sorry. You sound busy. I'm just... I was wondering..."

"Sorry about that, I didn't look before I spoke. What's up? Is everything okay with Ace?"

"Yeah, he's good. Barry and I just finished dinner. We're going to watch a movie." Jacob heard some background noise. "There, I came to my room. Some people are so nosy. I was just calling to see if you've talked to Kaleigh yet. I hadn't heard from you. I was feeling a little apprehensive."

"I'm not backing out."

"I know, or I figured, but are you okay?"

Jacob told her how Kay's assistant kept making excuses why she couldn't talk to him today. He had one message work was too busy, another that she was at her mother's and one more that she ran into an old friend and then she had to run by the grocery store.

"Sounds like she doesn't want to come home."

"Exactly."

"Um, well, I also wanted you to know, I did a little packing, which was easy since I never really unpacked except for necessities."

"That's good. Do you think we can get it all in Lahote's truck? I can rent something if I need to." She told him she thought so, but she was going to be very protective of the crib and they had to have good weather. Jacob jotted down a reminder to rent a small moving van. Knowing the guys, they'd toss it all in and go without much thought. Bella got kinda quiet, but she wasn't hanging up. He figured she was expecting him to say goodbye first. "Thanks for calling."

"Oh, sure. Well, I'll let you go. We'll see you soon."

Jacob hung up and realized he was grinning ear to ear. She sounded cute over the phone. He could tell she was unsure about making that call, but it was the best thing that happened to him all day. She was concerned. Bella genuinely cared, not just that he was going to end his marriage, but how he was feeling about it.

* * *

Dinnertime came and went and still no word from his wife. Jacob made some eggs since there wasn't much in the fridge or pantry. He guessed that's why she was going to the store, but she hardly needed to buy as much if he wouldn't be around. If Kaleigh was gone, then he was getting a shower in the master bath. He hated that guest bathroom, it was cramped. He missed the luxury of the shower he had designed especially for his size. The showerhead was in the right place, plus the wall jets were amazing. He needed something to help him relax.

He briefly looked around their old room. Nothing seemed different, but everything had changed in a short amount of time. Jacob turned the water on hot, dropped his jeans in the middle of the floor and stepped inside. He hadn't taken a shower in there more than a couple of times since she kicked him out. He even hit the aromatherapy dispenser after turning up his tunes. "Cemetery Gates" was his choice and was uniquely fitting for his mood, his situation.

Jacob rested his forehead against the glass tiles and let the water hit him from every direction. He closed his eyes and imagined a new life. It wouldn't arrive overnight, but he was willing to work harder than ever to obtain it.

There still was some residual sadness about ending the one he'd tried to start with Kaleigh. He was going to try and be as sympathetic as he could. They both invested a lot of time and energy in the years they'd been together. He honestly didn't want a huge fight; it wasn't even worth bringing up the desperate attempt to seduce Embry. He was pretty confident she would've backed down from that if his brother hadn't been so quick to turn her down.

Lost in thought, he didn't hear anything but water and loud music before the shower door clicked. Jake turned around fast. He couldn't believe what was before him, he quickly averted his eyes. She was still his wife, but he didn't want to see. It felt awkward. He angled his hips sideways. He felt exposed as well.

"Kay... what the hell are you doing?"

"Having a shower with my husband, of course. I missed this. It smells divine, but this music has to go. Who added that loud mess to our playlist?" She reached around him and put on something soft and tranquil. That was it. He was making his exit. Jacob tried to step around her, but Kaleigh purposely bumped her naked body into his.

She reached for the goods without hesitation. He grabbed her wrist. "Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because you know why. Move, so I can leave."

She puckered her bottom lip. "I bet there are hundreds of men that would be happy to be naked with me right now in a luxurious shower."

She was probably right, but he didn't admit that he wasn't one of them. No sense rubbing salt in the wounds he was opening up. He wasn't going to start the talk until they were both dressed. Jacob physically moved her out of his way. There was nothing aggressive about it, but she got the picture. He quickly wrapped himself in a towel, grabbed his stuff off the floor and walked out of the bathroom. He went to the guestroom and slipped on a pair of sweats and a snug v-neck.

He walked to the master bedroom door and listened. The water was off. He paused before knocking. He wanted to make sure she had time to dress. She didn't answer, so Jacob slowly pushed open the door. Kaleigh was sitting on the edge of the bed. She had a terrycloth bathrobe on her shoulders with her arms inside, but she hadn't attempted to close the front. She might as well still be nude in the shower. Her head was hanging low and she was already crying.

Jacob came over and sat on the corner opposite her. "I'm sorry. I never set out to hurt you."

"Was any of it real?"

"Of course. I loved you. I wanted to mean the vows, but... "

She stopped him. "Everything's past tense. She was supposed to be your past but it got switched at some point, didn't it?"

"Yes."

"Because of the baby. Is that why? You think you need to be together for his sake?"

"No, not exactly. Kay, let's talk about us instead."

"I thought when you kept trying to make contact today, you wanted to... nevermind."

He wondered if she was really being truthful about that. He hadn't led her on in a long time, pretty much since the night he brought Bella and Ace to Seattle. That was the one and only time he'd done that. Ever since then, it had felt like a chasm formed in the middle of their home. They were completely divided.

He needed to be completely upfront. "I have a lawyer. I'll give you his card. I quit my job. We'll be going back to La Push this weekend. I would like a third-party Realtor to list the property, unless you want to buy me out. I'm not sure why you ran up so many bills recently, but the lawyers are going to have to settle that financial stuff. It really would help if you could return some of it."

"Screw you and your lawyer! I can't believe you're sitting over there completely empty of any goddamn emotions! You're not even looking at me! This is our life! Our marriage, Jake!"

"I'm aware of that. If you want me to face you, put on some fucking clothes."

She changed from the sappy, crying jilted wife almost immediately. Kaleigh jumped off the bed, shedding the robe on the floor. She attempted to climb over him. Jacob grabbed both her arms. She fought him with all her strength, which was no match for his. He had to be cautious not to harm her, but she was kicking and screaming and going nuts. He was glad his house was well insulated. He never wanted Bella and Barry to hear all this craziness. Jacob pushed her on her back, got up and stepped away from the bed. He searched for something to cover her with since she was basically spread out on display.

"Make love to me again, Jake. I'll prove to you we aren't over."

She had sunk to an all-time low. There was no way. He needed to leave. He wasn't going to be able to stay there. She chased him, wrapped her arms around his waist and begged again.

He extracted her from his body, "Kaleigh, stop. It's over."

She was unable to get her arms around him again. She was trying to grab him, scratch him, anything she could do. He was always too fast and she was becoming more and more frustrated.

Kaleigh walked over to the stone fireplace and started hitting her hands and arms. He needed to stop her before she hurt herself. "I'll tell everyone you did this to me, you bastard! It will be my word against yours and I'm more credible!"

Jacob held her arms at her sides. "Please, stop, I don't want this. I know you're in pain. I'm sorry. Jesus, I'd take back so many things if I could. Can I call someone for you?"

She seemed to calm down a little, at least she wasn't attacking him or trying to injure herself. Jacob grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the sofa. He wrapped it over her shoulders and ushered her to sit down.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to be coming back from Hawaii a few weeks ago and I'd be pregnant." Jacob had never planned for that to occur. She had been living in a fantasy almost as long as he had been, thinking he could live without Bells. "I still could be, you know. I haven't had a period since they came here. I thought it was stress, but what if we have our own little miracle?"

He knew it wasn't possible. Old Quil and his father had shared some information with him. Jacob would never have children with anyone but Bells. Besides, he could smell her. She wasn't pregnant and she was still taking her pills. He scented the hormones.

"You're not pregnant."

"You don't know that."

"Fine, you have a test from six months ago when you messed up your pills and we worried for a few days, go find it and take it."

"No, I don't feel like it. I'm not sure I kept it."

"You did. I saw the box in the back of the bathroom cabinet. Go get it."

"What are you going to do if it's positive?"

"I'm going to do exactly as I planned, because you won't be."

"I really think I am. It all makes sense, the mood swings, the irritability, the crying fits.

Jacob had all he could stand. "Whatever, I can't even remember the last time we had sex. If you are, it's not mine and I can say that with 100% certainty."

So much for getting her calmed down. "How dare you? You're a fucking bastard!"

He got up and headed for his room to pack up his things. He knew he couldn't get everything, but he'd clean out what was important when he rented the moving van over the weekend. She ran after him screaming all sorts of expletives, ranting and raving about her false pregnancy. The final straw was her agreeing with him.

"You're right. It's not yours. You were a miserable lover, Jake. I had to go elsewhere."

"Fine. Get out of my way, Kay. I'm leaving now. I'll be back Saturday for my stuff, it would be best if you were gone." He pulled a card out of the jeans he picked off the bed.

"Here, that's my lawyer. You can go through his office, we won't be talking again."

"Don't you want to know who my lover is?"

"Nope."

Jacob stuffed clothes in a bag as fast as he could.

"It's Embry. We've gone behind your back for a long time." He turned around and told her he knew that was a boldface lie. "No, it's not. Embry appreciates me. He loves me and he's ten times better than you ever were in the sack."

"You really should see a psychiatrist. You're delusional. My brother would never betray me like that. My family actually has respect for one another. We're not perfect, but you would never catch any of us making up terminal illnesses to get our way. I can barely stand your mother, but that was low and despicable."

"You think I made that up myself?"

"I don't know, nor do I care anymore. All I know is, it's a lie. She's not sick. She's well enough to try and buy Bella off and get rid of my son in the process."

"I had her permission. It was her idea. I never waited to tell my mother about your bastard son. I told her the first night. She said if I really wanted to keep you there were plenty of avenues I could pursue."

"I stand corrected, you're both fucked up in the brain. I can't believe I kept trying to give you the benefit of the doubt and blamed myself for you acting out."

Jacob picked up his bag to leave. Ace would be asleep. He hated to uproot them late at night but there was no other choice. He wasn't sure where they'd go. He really didn't feel like making the long drive to the reservation. He was completely spent after this fuckery. He slammed the door in her face, hoping that was the last he'd see of her.

* * *

Jacob barged inside the apartment door. Barry was stretched out on the couch. Bella walked out of the bedroom looking alarmed, "Jake, what's wrong?"

"We've got to go... right now. I'm sorry, but I can't have you anywhere near Kaleigh in her current state of mind."

Barry jumped up. Bella started telling him what to grab. Hopefully, the important stuff would fit in his SUV. Jacob promised they'd get movers to come get the rest. He thought waiting for the weekend was too long. She might come in here and trash everything out of spite. He told Bella to wrap up Ace and walk down to her car. He and Barry grabbed as much as they could carry. Jacob opened the garage to help carry the big stuff, like the pack-n-play and the bouncer.

Unfortunately, that was not the last of Kaleigh. She was standing in the driveway yelling to the heavens, still wearing nothing but that damn blanket.

Bella froze at the sight of her, "You happy, you dumb cunt? This isn't over! Jacob will have to tell you the truth eventually! He'll be back when he realizes I'm not lying about having his baby!" All the blood drained out of Bella's face.

"Bells, get in the back with Ace. Lock the door until I get back." He yelled for Barry to stand by the car. Jake had told everyone to fall back for the night because he'd thought he needed privacy. Now, he seriously regretted that decision.

Jacob blocked Kaleigh from coming any closer to the garage. "You better back up. Don't take another step towards my family."

"You have to be joking! I'm your family! You said I was first! We're not done here! Come back inside so we can talk. Let that home-wrecking bitch take care of herself for once!"

"You need to snap the fuck out of it. Go back in the house. Don't you even think about touching anything in this garage either. It's all mine, it always has been. I swear to God, I'll call the cops if you even move one screwdriver in there. One more thing... " she glared at him, but took a few steps back. He got in her face so that she would literally feel his rage, "Don't ever speak to my son's mother like that. Bella is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and I won't tolerate that sort of disrespect. I tried my best to be sensitive to your feelings, but you need serious help. You're as disgusting and bitter as your racist mother."

Kaleigh raised her hand to slap him but he stopped her, causing her to jerk her hand from his grip, screaming for him not to touch her, that she was the one calling the cops. Unfortunately, she didn't go back inside, but retreated to the front porch. The sooner they left, the better. Emotions were skyrocketing. Seriously, if they had close neighbors, someone else would've called the cops for certain.

Jake ran upstairs to grab the rest. Barry was on his phone as he stuffed more bags in Bella's trunk. Kaleigh finally stopped screeching and yelling obscenities at them, but she sat there in the cold night, shivering under the thin scrap of a blanket. She was watching him leave her, witnessing him giving up everything they'd worked for, with another woman. She never appeared to look away either.

"Collin says we can all come to his place."

"Okay, good. Follow us. Let's get the hell out of here."

Jacob climbed behind the wheel. Ace was screaming bloody murder after having his sleep disturbed. Bella was trying to get him back to sleep by talking to him softly and holding a pacifier to his lips. Jacob pulled out of the driveway. Kaleigh never moved from the spot she chose as a front row seat to observe the disintegration of their marriage. So much for not really being evil, she had sunk about as low as she could go. He stopped trying to see the wife he was leaving behind. Instead, he changed his focus on Bells in the rearview mirror. She was wiping her eyes.

"Could it be true?"

"No, absolutely not."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because the legends say the imprinted wolves will only have children with their imprints. She's not pregnant, Bells. I swear."

He heard of whoosh of breath escape her lungs, "Oh my gosh, that's a huge relief. What the hell went on in there?"

"A little bit of everything."

"She didn't have her clothes on, Jacob."

"I know."

"So you're sure there's no more little Blacks on the way? I can't forget how she said that to me, like she was stabbing me with a knife."

"Bella, you can talk to Dad about it if you don't believe me, but there will be no more little Blacks until I make you fall in love with me all over again and you decide to give them to me."

They drove for a few miles down the road towards Collin's condo. She finally whispered to their son, "Now look who's talking crazy, huh, baby?" Ace had calmed down and was cooing at her. "I can't possibly fall in love with your daddy again, seeing as how I never stopped in the first place."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **You know I really want to hear what you think about this one...**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 34: Perfectly Unbroken

Bella got Atticus back to sleep soon after Jacob put the pack-n-play up in Collin's extra room. It was a snug fit with all Collin's man toys, a desk and the pulled out futon. She turned off the lamp and left the room with the door cracked since she forgot the baby monitor. Hopefully, they'd be able to get everything out the following day, quickly and without any further drama.

Of course, Bella expected Kaleigh to be upset but never for her to go full, wacko crazy in the driveway practically naked. That never even seemed like a remote possibility. It all happened that way, she'd never forget it. She kept trying to expunge the memory of Kaleigh announcing she was pregnant by Jake, but wasn't successful quite yet. She believed him after hearing the whole truth, but the initial ill feeling still lingered.

At first, she expected Jacob would go on to have more children with his wife, but the weeks together had only brought her closer to him. Bella was pretty damn possessive of Jacob as well. She could never blame it on the wolf like he did, he was her baby's daddy first and that meant something. That mean bitch didn't deserve to have his children. She was so happy they were done with her, but were they really? She suspected Kaleigh was going to make the divorce way more complicated than it needed to be.

She found Barry and Collin having a beer in the kitchen. "Where's Jake?"

"Outside, making some calls."

Collin handed her a water bottle. Barry looked like he was about to explode so he finally said what was on his mind, "Who knew, B? You never told me you wanted to be a reality TV star. Our life in LA was dull compared to this."

"Please. I'd love to be dull again." She kept looking towards the balcony door waiting for Jacob to come back inside.

Barry drained his beer and sat the bottle firmly on the counter. "No more fibbing." He pointed to her and then to Collin. "All this shit is weird, nothing's natural. Men appear out of nowhere at the drop of hat. I might say that was my number one fantasy at one time, but what do you do, hun... to make it all a reality? You're a cultural anthropologist for Christ's sake!"

Collin held onto a sound in the back of his throat until Jacob walked through the door, "Ummmm."

"Bells, can I talk to you a second?"

They walked across the living room and he lowered his voice to tell her a few important details. He had been on the phone with Embry mostly. Seth was going to hang around the house as watch. He didn't know how far Kaleigh would go to inflict revenge on them. Several of the guys would be over in the morning and they were going to start moving out the rest of their things. He wanted her to take the baby and go to Charlie's. Someone would drive her.

She shouldn't care, but Bella didn't want Jacob to have anything else on his conscience. "What about Kaleigh? I think she needs help."

"I sent Mack a message. I think he's going over."

"Barry's asking questions again. I know it's late, but I feel like we should come clean. You brought him in the middle of this life. It only seems fair."

"Yeah, it's fine. Collin really likes him too, but he admitted he needs to take things slow. I've always said, if you trust him, I trust him."

They ventured back over to the bar. "Please assure me, my friend will never have to endure that sort of ordeal ever again."

Bella felt Jake's hand on her back. "I don't plan on it."

Barry grabbed the bottles and tossed them in the trash. He told Jacob to forget it, he was too tired to talk. "I know B needs her rest, so we'll pick up this conversation in the morning." Barry pulled her arm, but Jacob grabbed her waist. Collin already told them, he only had the futon and the sofa in the living room. Barry told her in private he never dreamed he'd be spending the night at Collin's place so soon, but tonight was obviously not the night to profess his extreme crush.

Jacob wasn't about to let them go off to bedroom. He reached to remove Barry's hand but he let go before they made contact. "You'll be taking the couch."

"And leave you with Bella. I don't think that's a good idea. She and I have discussed this at length. Quit pushing her before she's ready."

"I've always appreciated your concern for Bells, but no one's pushing. She and I have slept together before."

Barry mumbled. "Obviously."

"No, I mean actual sleep, in the same room, same bed. You saw a small portion of what I just went through this evening. The last thing on my mind is taking advantage of Bella."

Barry looked to her for confirmation. He wanted to know what she wanted. Bella mouthed she was fine. She meant with Jake. "Barry, I know you're tired. We all are, but if you can handle the condensed version, I'm ready to give you some answers. Tomorrow, I'll tell you the expanded parts."

"I'd like that. Start with, who in the hell are you people?"

Jacob said they should start first with Bells, a normal teenage girl that had a unusual knack for attracting supernatural beings. As soon as Jacob said that word, Barry asked if he was going to need another beer.

"No Bar, you need to be sober so you won't doubt this conversation ever happened. I was married to a teenage vampire."

"Excuse me, what? That sounds like a bad sitcom."

"I know, right. Actually, it was a colossally bad real life event, but it's all true." She told him how they met at school and how the unnatural attachment between them formed rather quickly. Bella didn't want to dwell too long on those parts. Jacob spent a lot of that time hurting and she didn't want to relive it for several reasons. He helped her tell some of the parts. He was a much better story teller in her opinion. Of course, Barry interrupted plenty. He double checked the facts when something sounded completely impossible which was the majority of it.

"So all of you are wolves, not security?"

"Yes, we provide protection to Bella because we are wolves," Collin answered. Bella could tell her friend was even more nervous around Collin than he had been about his good looks. He had been taking a few steps back the more Collin revealed.

"And her stalker is top vampire, not top mafioso?"

"Yes."

Jacob told him if it was too much to absorb and he wanted to go back to California or Texas or anywhere, they'd help him. "Being in our world carries certain risks."

"But Bella can't leave?"

"No, she has to be with us."

Bella would ease Barry's worries a little later by assuring him, she wanted to be with them. It was no longer a _have to_ situation.

"I... I don't want to go. I mean, I like my job here. I'm sure I can search closer to Chief Swan's residence. Does anyone do hair in Forks? I bet it's lots of old lady hair, isn't it?"

Collin broke in and told Barry he was welcome to stay with him a little longer if he preferred big city hair salons and he could still see Bella and Atticus as much as he wanted. Bella saw his face brighten up after looking rather doom and gloom for the past thirty minutes while he heard how dire her circumstances could be.

"Take your time, you don't have to decide tonight. I have to go back now, but Collin's giving you options. I want you to do what you want to do, Barry. I've grown accustomed to you always being around, having my best interest at heart, but I wouldn't be a true friend if I didn't support you the same way." The talk seemed to satisfy a little bit of Barry's wildest curiosities. All the men insisted she head to bed and they'd be doing the same, shortly.

* * *

Bella was trying to fall asleep, but Jacob still hadn't come to bed. She was probably a little too excited about sleeping with him for the night than she should be. She only made her speech about not being together just because he was leaving Kaleigh a little more than 24 hours ago. Sometime later, the futon creaked and Bella felt him join her. She must have finally dozed off. He didn't say anything and he stayed on his side, but she wanted to acknowledge him in some way.

Bella found his hand down by his side. They threaded their fingers together. "You shouldn't have waited up."

"I didn't. I just wanted to say goodnight."

"Night Bells." She felt him move towards her and she was struck with fear. There was no way she could handle him kissing her again. She'd give in and she knew she shouldn't. He very gently pressed his warm lips to her forehead and then quickly retreated. Mixed emotions moved through her. It was for the best and they both knew it.

She only got about six hours of rest but it was good sound sleep. Once, Bella opened her eyes and saw where she was, who she was with, it made sense. They went to sleep on opposite sides, but she was currently draped over his bare chest as Jacob's arms held her tight. He hadn't woken up, so she was shamelessly staring at him. Her hand had a mind of its own and before she knew what was happening, her fingers hovered over his jaw. She ached to touch him, but she couldn't. It was too soon, but then it was just a touch. Wasn't it? Jaw rubbing wasn't over-the-top or was it? Bella seriously felt like a nut.

She debated what to do next. It was probably best to pull away. She imagined Atticus would be awake any minute. She wondered how to extract herself from his hold when his grip tightened across her back. His warm hand made contact with her skin just under the hem of her top. He wasn't sleeping after all.

"Jake, let go. I need... "

"You need what, Bells?" Holy moly, his morning voice was gruff and sexy.

"I...I... the baby."

Her son came to her rescue because he made his first fussy noises. Jacob released her, but instead of allowing her up, he said he'd get him.

"He'll be wet."

"I know. I'll change him. I've changed hundreds of diapers by now."

"Hundreds? I'm not so sure about that, but okay."

Bella rolled onto her back and listened to father and son interact. Once Atticus knew he was being attended to, he was happy and no longer whining. Jacob changed the diaper in an impressive 45 seconds before bringing their son to her.

"He's smacking his lips, so I guess he wakes up like me... starving."

"Yes, that's true."

Bella sat up and adjusted her pillow before bringing her son to her breast. He latched on quickly, she lifted her eyes to Jacob. He'd seen her feed their son several times now, but he had this goofy expression on his face at the moment. He was standing next to the bed. She saw him reach down and pick up a shirt. He slipped it over his head. That's when she realized he had slept in bed with her in only his boxer briefs. She averted her eyes when he went for the jeans next. Bella solely focused her attention back to Atticus. She wondered if their son was aware of the many changes in such a short amount of time? Probably not, he was always so happy and content. She guessed as long as his needs were met, he didn't pay much attention that they were living in several different places.

Jacob started to leave, but she wanted to know what the plan for the day was. Bella expertly switched sides and patted the bed next to her. "Wait. Talk to me for a minute. I'm worried about you going back over there."

He told her he could take care of himself if she couldn't tell, but this had nothing to do with his physical power. The events had to take a toll on him emotionally. He said he needed to call a buddy of his that owned a storage facility. He was going to rent a truck and pack up all he could get in and store the rest for later. He didn't want a damned thing from the house, but his personal items, like his clothes and shoes and his computer which housed all his designs. He'd get as much as he could from the garage apartment, because once he found a place to stay, he'd need some furniture. He also promised all of their things would be delivered safely to Charlie's.

"You don't want me to stay with Dad, do you?"

"Haven't I proved to you, I'm willing to not make it all about what I want anymore?"

"Yes, I guess you have, but I'm asking you to be honest. Are you apprehensive for me to stay in Forks instead of on the reservation?"

"Of course, I am, but we've protected you there before. I'm confident you'll be fine as long as you always let me know where you're going. At this point, your comfort is what's important. I don't have a place for you just yet. I don't even know where I'm staying. I can't crash on Dad's couch indefinitely." Jake said he'd compromise if she would be willing to come to the res as quick as possible if a situation arose, so she agreed without hesitation.

Atticus was getting fidgety which meant he was probably full. Bella lifted him up to her shoulder making sure her top fell and covered everything up in the process. "Sure, you don't want a few minutes of cuddles, Daddy? Your day is probably going to be eventful and long."

He reached for Atticus who let out a satisfied burp during the switch. They both laughed. Jacob propped him up on his legs and started up a very animated conversation that had the baby in giggles. Bella leaned into Jake and reached out to hold their son's hand. It felt natural to be close to them. She had to admit, it always felt natural, even when he was supposedly a happily married man. Now, that the invisible barrier had been lifted, she wasn't nearly as hesitant. She knew the technicalities, like he wasn't divorced, but something was different between them and it literally happened overnight.

Jacob told her someone would be over soon to take them. He handed Atticus back. He leaned over and kissed the back of his head. Bella felt his hand cover hers. "I'm sorry I didn't say it back."

She felt heat flush her face. That admission of love in the back of her car had been a bit juvenile. She was hoping he hadn't been paying attention. It really wasn't the right time for such things. He'd just ended his marriage.

"Jake... "

"No, I'm not trying to pressure you either, but you need to know, dumping you out in the hallway that morning and hiding the imprint were only two of my worst moments. I've missed too many opportunities to tell you how much I love you. It never was one of those cases that I wasn't sure if you felt the same. I knew you did... I felt it, but I still kept silent. That was the hardest part all those years ago. I watched you leave even though I felt the unspoken love between us. I'm not talking about the declarations of friendship love. Bells, we loved each other deeply and in a way most people do not understand. Even so, we continued to hold back, hurting each other to the point our relationship seemed irreparable. I just want you to know, with our son as our witness, I never stopped loving you either. He is living proof to that."

Bella quietly whisked away a tear. Jacob squeezed her hand and pushed up from the bed to start the daunting task that was before him the remainder of the day. She didn't tell him her true reaction to his declarations. He'd been wrong about one thing. They were not irrevocably broken no matter how many mistakes they'd made in the past and present. She felt it deep within... they could still be fixed.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I know it's not too long of an update, but I needed this bridge chapter to catapult us into the next part of our story.**_


	35. Chapter 35

**~ _If a little romance and rekindling a flame doesn't interest you, then you best be quitting my story. LOL! The angst train has come to a halt for now, I didn't say for good, but you'll have to wait and see. Of course, I was disappointed to see the guest review that read all 34 chapters and now regrets ever reading this story. To her I must say, "No Ragrets" Too bad I can't post pics on ff because "you know what I'm sayin?" Props for anyone that knows what movie reference that is._**

Chapter 35: A New Hope

"You sure this looks okay?"

"For the last time, girl, you look amazing. We all gave you a thumbs up. It's the council, not the fashion police."

Bella was supposed to meet the entire tribal council for the first time. Rachel was going to babysit. She had practiced for hours with Billy and Sue, but they were like family. She had another seven people to impress. Collin insisted she was a shoe in to gain approval for his proposal. Bella, however, was not convinced.

Barry and Collin were her companions on the way back to Forks. Collin took the day off from his clinic. Jacob needed most of the others so he could move out in record time. It turned out Collin had a another dream of opening a healing and renewal center on the reservation. He was met with immediate obstacles and discrimination. Bella mistakenly assumed it had something to do with his sexuality, but Collin said that had nothing to do with the problems he encountered.

"I'm too young. They don't trust me. My grandmother taught me everything she knew, but the older generation doesn't believe that."

"Oh, well, that is a problem. I'm sure you must know, I won't do much better." The council had to approve any business for profit set up on the reservation. Collin first attempted it almost two years prior and was shut down.

"Nope, you're different. First off, you went to college and have hundreds of hours in tribal studies." Bella had even worked at several reservations in various states during summer internships. "Second and the most important denominator in our favor is you have been promoted to number one female of the entire Quileute nation."

She laughed out loud when he told her that. How was that possible? A white girl from the city of Forks? Those that knew the legends would also know said girl married a cold one. She was doomed before she ever went into the meeting.

"It's true. I swear it, you're the mother of the future chief, trust me on this. They'll be eating out of your hand."

Bella had a crash course in what Collin's center would accomplish and how such a place would benefit the tribe as a whole. The others were right about one thing, she knew her stuff. She'd studied every night in preparation. Hopefully, she could gain approval, because then she would be gainfully employed once again, but also making a difference. The second clinic was still in the planning stages, but Billy told her he thought there were others areas or projects she could work on and the council would back her the entire way. He said they had a surplus in the budget because nothing much had changed for years. It would take months for Collin to get the center off the ground.

* * *

She had just enough time to feed the baby before she was heading over with Billy. Rachel sent her to Willow's room because she had a comfy chair and it was quiet since Emily had the kids for the afternoon. The move to Forks had been fairly easy. Much to her surprise, her mother was moving out the very same day. She reigned in her relief because she didn't want to hurt her feelings. Renee actually volunteered to stay a few more nights, but Bella told her it wasn't necessary.

She bragged how fast Charlie found her a little efficiency over a retail shop on Main St. "I swear that man still carries a torch for me. He'll do anything I ask."

Bella got the actual rundown from her father when her mother was on one of her many trips to the apartment. She was working poor Brady to death. He was her personal moving boy and it shocked her to see her mother had every item she owned with her. She honestly didn't have a home anymore. Bella told her to stop ogling Brady several times, it was embarrassing. "He's too young even for me, Mom."

"Nonsense, he's legal. We're all consenting adults and I happen to know he's single." Bella made her scary face. "Quit looking at me like that. I can have a sweet peek, it doesn't make me an old perv. That dark and mysterious one first caught my eye, but I found out real quick he's Billy's son-in-law."

"Mom, stop it. Seriously, Paul?"

"My gosh, Bella. Sometimes, I question how you came from my body. Did you honestly not notice all this hot, Quileute meat roaming the forests when you lived here? What was wrong with you?"

"A lot actually, but no, not like you mean. They were just the guys... Jake's friends."

Her mother tried to start up another conversation about her progress with Jacob, but she stopped her since Brady was ready and waiting for their final trip to the apartment.

Her father could finally finish what he'd been trying to say. "Crazy. That woman was about to drive me completely insane. I've been working late, staying over at Sue's as much as possible. I can't go to Billy's, because she's always there."

"Wait, what? Mom goes to Billy's?"

"Yep."

"That's odd."

"Everything about your mother is odd, Bells. I mean no disrespect of course, but she has no boundaries. She was bound to come between me and Sue if I didn't politely get rid of her."

So he was finally admitting there was something going on with him and Mrs. Clearwater.

"Like a romantic rival?"

"No, hell no. That ship has sailed, but she got personal. I can't even tell you the questions she asked about how I was taking care of Sue?" Her father got all red in the face just like she so often did. Bella asked if she was going to cramp his style as much as her mother seemed to.

"I'm asking a lot. You just got rid of one houseguest and now I'm moving in with a baby."

"Bells, I'd take you and ten grandbabies over your mother any day. You can stay as long as you like. I'm afraid you'll leave far too soon anyway."

She wanted to know what made him say such a thing just as the first load of her stuff arrived. Ten babies. Good grief. Why did that make her blush almost as bad as her father had? Bella was so relieved that all her things made it safely. The crib was in perfect condition and was set up by Seth and Leah after a lengthy argument about who was right about where a mysterious screw attached. Leah read the directions, but Seth refused. He said he could eyeball it and take an educated guess where all the parts went.

Leah smacked him in the head. "Bella's putting her young son in this to sleep, no guessing allowed."

She found out from them everything survived Kaleigh's wrath except for one important item of Jacob's.

"Oh no, what did she do?"

Seth swore he got there as fast as he could when Jacob called him, but Kaleigh was already in full destruction mode. He and her cousin, Mack pulled her off. Mack took over for the night and all was quiet until they showed up with the moving crew. Of course, she called the cops like she threatened. She accused Jake of stealing. Jacob was still trying to sort out what was his when he told them to get out of there with Bella and Atticus's things.

The motorcycle.

"She wrecked it as bad as she could with what she had on hand which was a tire iron from the trunk of Jacob's car and maybe one other sharp object. He didn't like his car too much, she left that alone, but Kaleigh knew how special his motorcycle was to him."

"Can it be repaired?"

"Honestly, I don't see how. Lahote took one under the chin for suggesting they put it out with the trash. Jake has them loading the pieces up. He said he'll get to it eventually."

* * *

Thinking about Jake made her heart ache a little. She'd been back with her father a full week and she barely saw him. Bella didn't even know everything that had transpired with the soon to be ex-wife front. It made her very apprehensive. She asked Billy if he might show up today and he told her Jacob knew about the meeting, so it just depended on whether he could get away from work. He kept his promise about getting a job right away. She wasn't sure how he managed it so fast, but he was working at Dowling's which blew Bella's mind. She never thought he'd work for the Dowlings, but Charlie said Mr. Dowling passed away years ago and the shop was currently struggling to stay open. They changed managers about every other month.

Bella handed Atticus over to his aunt while Paul helped Billy to the car. They were off to face the council finally.

Once the introductions were out of the way, Bella didn't waste any time. She pulled out her notes and got started with the outline she and Collin had prepared. The council listened attentively and asked appropriate questions throughout. She was surprised how at ease she felt with all of them. Bella was so nervous before, but as soon as she made it to the table her nerves died down.

Billy smiled at her when she concluded her talk. He shocked her by saying, "Shall we take a vote?"

Bella never expected a vote right away in her presence. She thought they'd want to study the handouts she'd presented to each one of them and maybe vote in private at a later date.

"All in favor, can I have a show of hands?"

Just like that, they all lifted their right hand. All nine of them voted to approve the new clinic.

"Motion passed. We look forward to working with you Ms. Swan." Billy went on to explain they usually meet once a month, but maybe if Bella could spare the time, they'd meet weekly for awhile. They were going to show her some other proposals that they would appreciate her insight. Billy had been pushing for a cultural center for years and no one had taken the reigns to head such a project. "Might as well share more than just our beaches with all these tourists."

She was most definitely interested in that project. Bella thought about Atticus and knew it was right to have him home with his tribe.

Quil's grandfather spoke up next. "Now that the business is out of the way, how's the little chief doing? We heard he was ill recently."

Bella's heart warmed at hearing the affectionate name for her son and that they were concerned about him. She told them he was doing great. She even passed her phone around so they could all see a current picture of Atticus smiling brightly.

"Oh, that's just uncanny. He's a carbon copy of his father."

She personally thanked every council member for their vote and and confidence in her. Old Quil offered her a reassuring hug. "I'm excited for new things. You being here is good for the tribe and that child should grow up on these lands. I can't wait to meet him officially. Why don't you bring him next week when we go over the rest of the plans. I'm sure Mr. Littlesea has some detailed plans for the construction site. We'll be interested in going out and surveying the plot of land where he wants to build."

Bella said she'd like that very much, that her son loved being around people. Everyone else at the table was engaged in other conversations when a new worry overcame her. Collin had laid out all the plans about the center's services and how it would help the tribe, but was he ready to show them building plans? He hadn't mentioned that part if he was. They only just got approval, did they really expect something concrete in only a week? She needed to get him on the phone ASAP.

A warm breath tickled the back of her neck. "Good thing you and Collin know a talented architect."

Bella turned around in a split second. "Jake! You came!"

"Of course, I couldn't miss your debut as an unofficial Quileute."

"Wait, you were here the whole time?"

"No, not the whole time, but I caught the last bits." He hugged her with one arm. "I'm proud of you, Bells. Not everyone is successful with these tough old birds. Hey, can you wait a few minutes? I have to make the rounds. I've skipped out on too many meetings to count. I'll be right back."

Bella watched Jacob greet the council. She slipped to the back of the room to make a call to Rachel. Emily had brought all the kids back so Atticus was completely entertained. Bella told them the good news, so they insisted they turn a simple family dinner into a celebration. "Tell that brother of mine to actually show up for a meal if you see him."

She said she'd do her best. Jacob was living there. She wondered why he was never showing up for dinner. Sue approached and told her she'd be happy to take Billy home, that Jacob said they were going to take a walk to catch up.

"He did?"

"Yes, so we'll go back. Leah said they need an extra set of hands. It looks like everyone's coming over, even Renee."

Sue sounded less than thrilled. "I'm sorry about Mom. She can be a bit much, but honestly, she doesn't mean any harm. She is definitely not looking to rekindle things with Dad, but I hate that she's a shameless flirt. It's so embarrassing, but that's the story of my life."

"Sweetie, it's fine and you're not responsible for your parents, so don't burden yourself. Actually, I'm a little worried about the time she's spending with Billy. He's not had the best experiences with women and he seems to be getting a little too attached if you know what I mean. I think we both know, your mother has no plans of staying here for any length of time. I think she really needed some attention in her life. I understand, the years were cruel to her when she thought you were dead, but according to your father, she has been wandering about and living off the kindness of others for a long time. It seems she's burned some bridges."

Bella regretted not spending more time with her mother yet. She tried, but it was not an easy task to get Renee to sit still and tell her what's been going on in her personal life. She was going to make a point to try harder. She tended to agree with Sue's assessment about Billy. That was just plain weird to Bella. This entire family needed some calming down not more drama.

* * *

Jacob asked if she had a jacket, so they stopped off at her car to grab one. He wanted to walk down to the beach if she was up to it. She told him she should get back to Atticus soon, but he reminded her, his sister was always looking to satisfy her baby fix. "You know he's in good hands there. Come on, you can spare another hour. Give yourself a break. You deserve it."

Bella and Jacob took a path that led them close to the ocean. She looked around for any familiar pieces of driftwood, but the landscape had changed some. They had a seat around a recently used fire pit.

He called to check every night, but he'd only seen them once since they all moved away from Seattle. Bella found that odd and she told him so.

"Sorry, of course, I miss him like crazy. I've been around. I always check up on the house at night just in case you didn't know."

"I figured but what are you doing that you stay so busy? Rachel says you aren't coming home for dinner most nights. I cook for Mom and Dad almost every night. You could come over, play with Atticus and have a decent meal."

Jacob told her the Dowling garage was a complete mess. Ashley Dowling inherited the business from her father and pretty much sucked at anything that didn't involve staring at herself in a mirror. She didn't know a damn thing about running a garage. She kept hiring these pretty boy managers who sucked worse than she did.

"So are you her latest pretty boy or are you just a mechanic?"

"I wanted to be a mechanic only, but yeah, I pretty much inherited managing the place. I negotiated a higher salary which I desperately needed so I can't complain, but I rarely get out of there before 7, then I have to meet up with the guys for a daily report, as well as do my own patrols every other day. I stay pretty busy in the evenings with my designs. I'm working on a side business venture, but I'd rather not say just yet. I don't want to jinx it."

"Where are you staying busy if you don't mind me asking?" Bella felt this weird sting of jealousy. She imagined Ashley Dowling was even more beautiful than she had been in high school. She'd hired Jacob immediately and made him manager even though he hadn't worked on cars since he was a teenager. That sounded a bit fishy. Compounded by the fact, she hired men for the shop based on looks didn't make her sound very professional. Just what was she expecting from Jacob? Was it just to save her business? Bella doubted it.

"No, you can ask. I go to the library."

"The city library?"

"Is there another?"

"Well no, not that I know of but that's not what I expected. Why?"

"They have the fastest wifi in town and I need it for my work."

"Oh, okay, but that's so close to Charlie's. You could stop by every once and a while."

He said he was trying to give her space. Ugh, she had insisted she needed time and space, but that didn't mean she didn't want to see him at all. She and Atticus were used to seeing him everyday before and most of this week, she felt extremely lonely without Jake's visits.

"They're making dinner. Rachel insists you show up. That is, if you're off for the day. I'm not sure why Ashley let you away so early, since she's apparently used to keeping you around until late."

He started laughing. She hated when he laughed at her, but she was so obvious with her jealousy, a random sea creature could spot it if he was listening in on their conversation.

"I assure you, Ashley does not control my comings and goings at the garage and she's rarely there. If she is, trust me, she's taking selfies and hashtagging it _working hard at my garage._ I work late so I can fix the shit she's messed up for the past five years. I would like to keep steady work. I don't want to see it go under. The answer to you and Rach is yes by the way. I'll be joining everyone for dinner tonight."

"Oh, well okay, then maybe you could come over to Charlie's a few times a week too. Your son misses you." Bella carefully hid her emotions, _I miss you._

"I miss him too. I'd be happy to start visiting again. I can break away from the garage earlier a few nights a week. The library closes at ten most nights, but I'm there to eleven when they let me."

Jacob still wasn't sleeping much. She could tell. Bella wanted to know a little bit about the divorce proceedings. "Sorry about the bike."

He groaned out a frustration and rubbed his hands over his face. "I know. I haven't had a chance to go through the wreckage, maybe next weekend. Hey, you should totally stop over and watch some of the repairs. It will be like old times."

Bella thought about that broken girl in Jacob's garage. She wasn't in the same shape by any means, but maybe it was a good idea for both of them to be a part of the reconstruction. She told him she'd like that. "I'll bring the warm soda."

"Awesome. I'll have an upturned milk crate waiting for you. You always have reserved seating at my Taj." He winked at her and Bella felt tickles dance around her belly.

"How's Kaleigh?"

"A pain in my ass, but I don't want to talk about her. The lawyer's handling it."

"I'm sorry. I guess there's no chance of a simple, amicable split."

"Nope, not unless she miraculously changes her mind, but in all honesty, Bells, I don't want to burden you with this crap. I exposed you to her for far too long. You don't need to worry about it. My lawyer's excellent."

"Well, what about the cops getting involved? No one told me that whole story."

"Because they weren't allowed to."

"Jake, what's going on?"

"I might have done something I should have never done and it's bringing more trouble that I most definitely don't need."

"Could you please be more vague? I'm not sure if I'm totally confused or not."

"I hit Mack, okay. I should've let it go, but it had been building for years. He had it coming. Of course, it wasn't pretty. I'm freakishly strong so he ended up in the hospital and I went to jail."

Bella started slapping her hands against her thighs and she screamed, "JAIL!" She was trying not to have a mini freak out. No wonder she didn't see or hear from him that first night. "He pressed charges? What a douche?"

"Well, I made things worse by hitting him in front of that particular audience. They had no choice."

Audience? She was wondering what he meant. "Oh no, the police? They were your audience?"

"Yep. Don't worry about it. My court date's postponed for now. It'll all work out. The lawyer is hopeful to get the charges dropped. I've learned my lesson, no more losing my temper. It was all a setup. It's so obvious now. They called the cops, Kaleigh's parents were there and then Mack started goading me. He pushed all the right buttons and I lost control for a split second."

She couldn't help but worry, her son's father was in the middle of a nasty divorce, he worked non-stop and he had potential assault charges hanging over his head. A cool mist started pelting them in the face so Jacob suggested they get back to the house. He offered to drive her car. That gave her the perfect opportunity to think positive thoughts. She called Collin. He put Barry on speaker. She told them the good news. "You are getting a second clinic, Collin. I predict one day the entire state will know about your alternative healing successes."

He couldn't stop thanking her. Jacob told her he was proud of her again as soon as she hung up. "I'm still a little worried I can pull this off. I know bupkis about healing and herbal remedies."

"Yeah, but Collin knows a ton, he'll hire the right staff to help you. You know people and that's what stood out with the council. Just be yourself, Bells. It's going to work out."

Bella was thrilled how everyone piled in the Black's house and they had a big pack, family dinner. Jacob spent a good portion of the night with their son. That made her happy and he seemed at ease, but she was still pretty worried about him. Also, this 'space' business was a crock. Bella missed him and she was sick of him being standoffish. Jacob better start making some time for her or this idea she had of repairing their relationship was merely a pipe dream.

* * *

Bella carefully stepped down the stairs the following morning. Her father was in the shower and running late, so she promised to make him a quick bowl of oatmeal. A travel mug and paper bag caught her eye immediately. Bella always made sure the countertop was clean each night before turning in. She sat the baby in his swing so she could study the items a little closer. She immediately noticed the stamp on the white bag. Kim's sister had a bakery/sandwich shop at the edge of the reservation. Bella had visited there several times over the past few days. It was kinda the unofficial hangout for the pack women. Kim actually worked there full-time and her sister offered Bella part-time fill in work if she ever wanted some hours. She wrapped her hands around the stainless steel coffee mug to find it was still warm. She flipped the top and took a sip. It was just right, not only the temperature, but also exactly how she preferred her coffee. The bag contained a blueberry scone. "Oh, my favorite." She took a bite off the corner.

There was a small folded piece of paper in the midst of her morning treats. She opened up the note.

 _Hey Bells,_

 _Sorry, my handwriting never got any better. Hope you can read this. I had fun last night. Kim said this was your favorite. I felt like an idiot ordering something called a scone, but she swore not to tell Jared. Blueberries, huh? I'm not sure if you remember trying to teach me to make blueberry pancakes? I burned one side to a crisp but the inside was still raw. How'd that happen? You bumped me with your hip and took over. Of course, yours were perfect. The warm blueberries burst on my tongue and we washed them back with real maple syrup. That was fun. I found this too._

 _Anyway, I'm sure I know the answer to this, but you wouldn't by chance still have the wolf charm bracelet? I'll stop by this evening. Don't feel like you have to feed me, but if there's food, I won't turn it down._

 _Wink wink._

 _Later, Jake_

She put her hand over her chest. Her heart was about to pound out of her chest. It was a scone and coffee, but why did it feel like he gave her a pot of gold? Bella held up the picture that had seen better days. Where did he find that? She had a big blueberry stain swiped down her cheek, but she was grinning like a fool. She remembered the purple streak stayed with her the whole day. Soap and water didn't wash it away. Charlie came in for lunch yelling about the smoke smell and that Jacob had dismantled his smoke alarm because he couldn't get it to shut off. That was a good day right in the middle of so many dark days she was having. Jacob just thought he knew about the charm. Maybe he thought she carelessly discarded it because she married Edward or that she lost it in one of her many moves. Bella reached just under her neckline and pulled up the wooden wolf on a silver chain. She still wore it often, but the bracelet clasp broke a long time ago.

She rubbed the charm between her thumb and forefinger. "Yes, Jake. I remember."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **If this made me you feel squishy, please drop me a message. I always appreciate the good vibes.**_


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Healing

"What's that?"

"Oh, it's a scone from _Sweet Concoctions._ Jacob dropped it off."

"Really?" Her father looked over her shoulder. Bella apologized there was only one.

He mumbled, "Stingy brat. He used to eat me out of house and home."

"It's huge, I can share."

"No, I'm just teasing, if Jake wants to buy you biscuit thingys and ignore getting back on my good side, that's his prerogative. I'll take that heart healthy oatmeal you like to force on me."

"Dad, you know Jake's trying his best."

He said "maybe," before asking what else he left her, but Bella hid her note and picture in her pocket. She held up the coffee and took a long sip. The rest was private between just the two of them. She made her father's oatmeal. He played with his grandson while she dished it up in a bowl.

"So I guess he thinks he's welcome to use his spare key anytime he feels like it?"

"You gave Jacob a spare key?"

"Yes, I don't even remember how long ago, when I was most worried about you, kiddo. I wished I'd known the full story back then. Sorry bastard, I'll never get over him abandoning you in the forest."

Bella assured her father Jacob would never abuse his key privileges and she certainly didn't want to dredge up Edward. It was bad enough they resided in the same town once again. "I want Jake around more. We have things to work on and it's important for Atticus."

Charlie told her he agreed, but could she please take her time. He didn't think they could survive getting it wrong another time. She felt the same way.

* * *

Kim texted her later and asked if she enjoyed her scone. Bella said she did. They invited her to come for lunch later if the baby wasn't napping. She really didn't have anything else to do, so she promised to be there just after twelve.

Everybody else was happily chatting away when Bella realized she was zoning out. She guessed her friends noticed. "Bella, dear. Aren't you hungry?"

"Um, yes, I'm just taking my time."

"Well, little momma, Ace is happy with his Auntie Emily right now so you better eat up. It's one of the rules of motherhood, stuff your face when the baby's happy."

Kim spoke up. "I bet Bella's still full from her breakfast."

Rachel was a bit nosy. "Oh, do tell. Did you have a special breakfast? I can't remember the last time I wasn't eating on the run in the morning. All I had time for on the way to school with the kids was an energy bar."

Bella looked at Kim. She knew she wasn't going to hold it in. "Go on. I swear, all of you have the biggest mouths."

"Well, Jacob walked in here at the crack of dawn and wanted to know what Bella liked here. I said she likes everything because my sister runs a first-rate establishment. He corrected himself and asked for her favorite item on the morning menu, then bought her a specialty coffee and had us put it in an insulated travel mug so it'd stay hot along with a warm, blueberry scone right out of the oven."

Emily kissed Atticus on the cheek. "Oh, your daddy is being so sweet. I have a feeling this little family is going to be intact before the end of the month."

"Everyone can chill out. Yes, it was nice and thoughtful, but it was only breakfast. No one needs to have cartoon hearts coming out of their heads just yet. Don't forget he's still married. Who knows how long this divorce process will take."

Rachel said ignore that technicality. Everyone else had forgotten that psycho. Bella doubted Jacob ever forgot since Kaleigh was doing her best to make his life difficult. She also told her one thing she noticed since Jacob had been back was he never stops working. "He gets up at sunrise, goes to the garage, comes home, showers, leaves again, comes in late and reheats food or makes a sandwich and then he pulls out his laptop or his sketchbook and goes until he can't keep his eyes open. He does that for you and my nephew. I'm not sure what all he's up to. I know you don't expect him to accomplish everything at once. He's very secretive and never shows me what he's working on, but he's planning for the future. I've never seen him so focused."

Bella admitted she thought he was working too hard. They all shared some advice with her. She needed to make him feel like he was wanted around and that she was open to taking a chance again. It wasn't easy to shift gears after all that time thinking they shouldn't be spending too much time together. She admitted he was coming over for dinner. Kim thought she should go full scale romantic with candles and aphrodisiacs for dinner, but Bella reminded them of Charlie.

"How about I make one of his favorites instead?" She knew her father also really liked her stuffed chicken. Bella finally stopped toying with her food and ate her sandwich so she could head over to the store. She grabbed a couple of BLT's to go. She shook the bag at the front of her car. She didn't have to shake it twice before Quil, her escort for the day appeared. Bella offered to let him ride back to town with her, but he said Jacob preferred them to follow as wolves so if anything happened another wolf would be sharing the mind link. She told him to eat up, that she was going to feed the baby in the backseat before she started back.

Atticus was worn out from their visit, so ten minutes into his nursing session, he nodded off, sound asleep. That was great for Bella since she made a mental list for what she needed from the store. He would sleep if she kept him in his carrier. She let Quil know the plan, he retreated to the woods and Bella started the drive back towards Forks.

* * *

She was preoccupied with thoughts about what would go with her stuffed chicken and a great song on the radio. Bella was singing for one of the only people she allowed to hear her terrible voice, a sleeping baby. She heard the roar of engine behind her, so Bella glanced in her mirror. The driver flashed the lights.

"Ugh, what does he want?"

Another flash and then an actual honk.

"Oh, for goodness sake." She waved her hand. He wasn't going to stop tailing her obviously. Bella put on her blinker, slowed down and pulled off to the side of the road.

She got out in a huff, but carefully shut her door. Atticus was still sleeping.

"What? Why are you following me, Edward?"

He slowly approached her vehicle. "You've been avoiding me."

Edward sent messages occasionally and she rarely answered other than the standard, _I'm fine._

"There's nothing for us to say to each other. I wouldn't call it avoidance."

"The dog relied on me for your care not too long ago, now you all act like I'm one of the enemies. The pack of mongrels still needs us, especially me. I would think you'd be more cordial. Esme's feelings are hurt. You haven't stopped by."

Bella never meant to hurt Esme's feelings if that was even true. She had planned to catch up with the Cullens eventually. The truth was she texted Rose a few times and told her to tell her a good time when Edward wasn't around.

"Okay, I'll talk to Jake. Tell Esme and Carlisle I'll visit just as soon as I can make arrangements. Now if you'll excuse me, the baby's sleeping and I need to go to the store. Bye, Edward."

"You take that little baby all around and out in public with every germ known to man. That doesn't seem healthy or safe."

Bella was beyond annoyed now. Edward knew zip about infants, she was certain. He knew damn well she also was always protected. "It's fine. Babies aren't that fragile and neither am I. Atticus doesn't need to grow up in a plastic bubble."

"Well, if we'd been so fortunate to share a child, I would've been a little more cautious with the both of you."

Bella felt revulsion at the mere thought of that. What a weird thing to say, not to mention literally impossible. She needed to bolt and leave this conversation because it had gone from bad to worse.

Edward had other ideas, he grabbed her arm. It was about that time Quil emerged from the woods in human form. "I suggest you let go of her right now, bloodsucker."

Edward let go and held both hands up like he was surrendering. Bella looked past Quil and saw Sam, Jared and Leah. Quil must have sent out a distress signal as soon as she stopped.

"Everyone seems to be overreacting, don't you think? I was just having a word with my wif... um, with Bella."

Was he seriously about to call her his wife? This is why she didn't want to talk to him. Edward started getting sappy and delusional every time Bella gave him the time of day. She told Quil they could sort it out, but she needed to go shopping. Leah came down the embankment and said she was joining her.

"So that's the way it is now? These dogs control you. I guess since Jacob broke his marriage vows, you're going to be pathetic and let him have his way with you again with no repercussions for his abominable behavior. I'm disappointed in your lack of morals, Bella. You're a mother, you'd think you would want to set an example for your young son."

She might regret it at the end of the day, but Bella raised her hand to slap the shit out of our ex. Leah saved her fragile bones by stopping her mid-slap. "Not worth it, chica. Seriously. Back off, Chilly Willy. There's only one pathetic creature in this gathering and it's most definitely not our alpha queen. You're an embarrassment to the undead." Bella couldn't have said it better. She got in the car and waited for Leah to jump in with her before peeling out, leaving Edward in a cloud of dust.

Bella banged on the steering wheel, but then lowered her voice because of Atticus, "Woohoo, that was fun. I've never thrown gravel at someone."

Leah chuckled, "Yeah, that was a nice touch. Black will be proud of you. Your coolness factor just skyrocketed."

"He's not going to be happy with Edward, I'll have to tell him all about it when he comes over for dinner."

"Yes, you should, but I'm pretty sure he already knows. Our news travels at lightning speed."

* * *

Charlie walked in the house, "Yes! Stuffed chicken breast."

Bella walked around the corner. "How'd you guess so quick?"

"This nose doesn't lie when it comes to your cooking. What else you got going?"

Bella told him twice baked potatoes, a tossed salad with homemade vinaigrette and a fresh baked french bread. "I made dessert too, but that's a surprise."

"I have the feeling this isn't only to fatten up your pop." Charlie patted a barely there belly.

"Well, Jake's coming over and I wanted him to feel welcome. He's been working really hard and not getting hot meals most nights."

"I doubt he's skipping meals, knowing him like I do."

Bella mentioned inviting Renee but she hadn't heard back yet.

"She has plans."

"Oh, with who?"

"Some new friend of hers, a waitress at the diner, I think. Who knows with that woman."

Bella was curious if her mother was sticking around. She remembered what Sue said. "How is she even affording an apartment? Shouldn't she get a job soon?"

"I told her something similar and as far as the apartment goes, how do you think she's affording it?"

"You? Dad, she's not your responsibility anymore. I really need to talk to her." Renee was always trippy but at least she held down jobs when Bella was growing up. She didn't understand this habit she'd acquired for letting other people take care of her or chasing men that were too young for her for that matter. Although, Billy wasn't barely legal or even a couple of decades younger, he was most definitely her age but he was also her ex's best friend. She wondered why she hung out with him so much lately. Wasn't there a code not to do that sort of thing? Part of this might be Bella's fault for faking her death, but she'd been back well over a year and her mother was still behaving carelessly. Her father told her good luck, he'd talked until he was blue in the face.

Bella told her father a few instructions about turning off the oven at the buzzer and asked if he could watch Atticus.

"I have to get ready."

"Ready? Are we dressing for dinner now?"

She rolled her eyes and waved him off. She knew he was teasing her. They normally sat in front of the television, Charlie in his uniform pants and an undershirt he wore all day. Bella usually wore comfortable clothes that were often stained with baby drool or some type of food splatter.

She stood in her closet after her shower. A dress was trying too hard, but then jeans seemed wrong for some reason. She wasn't putting on yoga pants or sweats, that was for certain. Bella needed to go shopping, her wardrobe was so blah. She picked up the jeans she wore to lunch and frowned. "Oh my God, these are mom jeans. I'm only 27 years old!" Forget looking desperate, the burgundy sweater dress was totally appropriate for fall. Bella pulled it over her head, adjusted her hair and added a few accessories. She had to wear her boots with it or she looked like she was trying to show too much leg. Now she was thinking she should play it safe and slip on black leggings, but a car door slammed outside.

Bella wanted to be the one to answer. She'd never ran so fast downstairs in her life. She took a deep breath, smoothed her clothing out and turned around to see her father staring at her like she'd lost her mind before opening the door.

"Oh hey, Jake. Right on time."

He smiled at her and she swore for a minute time stood still or maybe they went back in time. She didn't see that smile very often and she missed it.

He had a bouquet. She wasn't expecting that. He pushed the little pumpkin overflowing with fall flowers into her grip. "These are for you. I thought they'd be nice on the table. The lady at the flower shop insisted they were a top seller."

"I love them. They're lovely. Thanks." She asked what else he was holding down by his side. He lifted a stuffed wolf out of his bag. She laughed. "A baby wolf. How adorable. It's even wearing a diaper."

Jacob said he checked and there were no parts that could be chewed off and become a choking hazard. "Can I give it to him?"

"Of course."

He went straight for his son with the wolf. Charlie started telling him what skills they'd been practicing. Bella said she needed a few more minutes to finish up. She was going to dress the salad and slice the bread. She pulled the iced tea out of the fridge. Bella smiled at the caramel apple trifle she'd hidden in the back. They were going to love that surprise.

They were going to have a nice sit down dinner at the table. Bella grabbed the platter of chicken first. She couldn't believe what was transpiring on the living room floor when she looked over. Her Dad always spread out the furniture when he played with Atticus. She quickly sat down the dish and ran for her phone. Jacob and Charlie were both crawling around in circles while her child watched in amazement. He was up on all fours as well but fell forward after a few seconds. It was obviously a lesson in crawling and Jacob had the baby wolf making howling noises to top it off like it was a puppet show. This required video proof or no one would ever believe her.

Jacob caught her in the act. "Hey no fair, did you take a picture, Bells? We probably look ridiculous." He jumped up and started stalking towards her. "Give me the phone."

"Nope, no way and I got better than a picture. I have two full minutes of video."

The chase was on. It didn't last long. Jacob caught her in front of the kitchen sink. He blocked her with his large body. She knew she'd never get away from him, but there was no way she was deleting that video. Bella held the phone over her head. He shook his head.

"There's no place you can hide that phone from me, now give it or I'll take it and you know that I know your passcode."

He did not, did he?

"It's easy, it's Ace's birthday."

Damn, she was so obvious. Bella clinched the phone tightly in her hands as she lowered it down. He probably would swipe it any second, but on a whim she dropped it in her sweater dress and caught the phone in one of the cups of her bra.

"I'm keeping that video forever, so back off! You and Dad crawling around in circles is one of the funniest things I've ever seen and I want the memory preserved for when our son is older."

"You think hiding it there will deter me?" He made his hand look like a claw. "I'm not afraid. I'm going in." Jacob was opening and closing his fingers like they were primed and ready to attack a boob. She wasn't sure if she was frightened or extremely aroused. A throat clearing behind them killed the quest before Jacob got too far.

"Is dinner ready or not? I'm starving." He walked over to the swing. They kept it near the table, so Atticus could feel like he was a part of everything.

Bella tried to pretend she wasn't the least bit embarrassed but her cheeks gave her away. She quickly got the rest of the meal spread out so everyone could make their plates. Jacob was the first to dig in. He and Charlie both talked with their mouths full about how good it was.

They ate until they were stuffed so her dad said he was getting a shower and letting his food settle before they dove into dessert. Bella could finally thank Jacob properly about her morning surprise.

"Thanks for the scone and coffee. I can't believe you had that picture."

He asked if her coffee was still warm and she told him it was perfect. "I have a box of pictures and mementos if you want to go through it sometime."

"I'd love that and I have something to show you." Bella reached for her chain and lifted up the charm. Jake's eyes widened and he leaned in for a closer look.

"I can't believe it."

Bella unhooked the clasp and placed the charm in his open hand. "I'd never get rid of this. The bracelet broke though."

"Hmm, let me guess, that hideous bauble Cullen added was too much stress."

"No, I hocked that ages ago when I need money for a special educational trip. Clumsy me got it caught on something. I can't remember for certain, but I saved the charm and strung it on this plain necklace."

"Can I borrow it?"

"Um... "

"I'll give it back, but in case you're forgetting, I skipped your birthday. I didn't forget, it's just everything we were dealing with and I was... "

"Still with Kaleigh. I get it. I knew why you didn't bring it up."

"Yeah, well, it's bugged me ever since. I think you sat up in that apartment all alone for your birthday and that sucks."

Bella told him she got plenty of texts and calls and Barry celebrated with her when he arrived a few days later. "I had our son. I wasn't alone."

She trusted him with the charm, but now she was super curious what he had in mind. Maybe he was getting her a new bracelet as a gift. She wasn't sure. She actually preferred a bracelet to a necklace so if that was his plan, she'd be happy.

"I heard there was a dangerous motorist on the road today. I'm not liking the fact you pulled over, Bells. Let the guys handle him."

"About that. I knew it was him so I didn't consider him dangerous... annoying, of course, but not dangerous. He can be so weird. Can you believe he questioned our parenting and said if he and I had a child, he'd be better at keeping us safe."

"Ugh, stop. That's enough to make me lose the fantastic supper we just ate. He has some twisted fantasies. There's no way you'd ever have children with him, his swimmers were fossilized long ago, I imagine."

"Gross, Jake. Not like I could ever even get that close. Remember, I told you about the frenzy?"

Jacob growled being reminded about Edward almost attacking her on their honeymoon. "Do you want me to get rid of him?"

"That sounds ominous."

"It's just the Cullens know, I'm not Sam. I make the rules around here. They don't throw that ancient treaty up to me. They know better."

Bella admitted Edward is strange and annoying, but she still trusted him with regards to her protection. "He mentioned you especially needed him. I'm sure that means something, so no, if you feel better with the Cullens around then you don't need to banish him."

Jacob told her Edward was doing some reconnaissance for them. He was traveling around, seeking out their kind, making sure there wasn't any chatter about spies in the area. "But he's getting a stern warning, we have a meeting later tonight. He won't be following you again."

He offered to help her clean up. Bella had some containers ready to send a few leftovers home with him. They washed up the big stuff but her father had a dishwasher now so clean up went way faster than the old days. Atticus began to tire of the swing. He would be ready for bed soon. Charlie came back down and turned on the TV. Jacob volunteered to give the baby a bath, so Bella let him take over. She told her father they'd wait until Jacob came back down to serve up dessert.

Charlie surprised her, "You're right, he's trying really hard."

She agreed but they didn't discuss why her father said that out of the blue. He'd been extremely anger about all the lies and secrets. Jacob was one of his favorite people and it was a hard pill to swallow how much he'd disappointed him.

Bella served up the trifle, but Atticus was beyond sleepy. She asked Jacob if he had time to stay a little later since she had to put the baby to sleep. "I can stay. Has he been sleeping good for you lately?"

"Yes, it's amazing to get uninterrupted sleep again. I'll be back down in twenty minutes or so. Will you two be fine?"

"Of course, Bells. Jacob and I have sat in front of the TV together hundreds of time. Night night, big man."

Jacob kissed his son goodnight before she headed up to their room.

* * *

She found the downstairs eerily calm and quiet. The television was still on but no other lights were and her father wasn't around. She went ahead and changed into night clothes which were flannel pants and a t-shirt before leaving her room. Jacob had been watching her come down the stairs. He looked relaxed in the glowing light from the TV.

"Where's Dad?"

"He said he had an early shift and was headed to bed because he was already succumbing to a food coma. I agree. That meal was quite satisfying. Too bad, I still have a pack meeting and some work to do, turning in early sounds damn good."

Jacob turned down the volume and patted the cushion beside him. She had a seat with a reasonable amount of distance between them. He rested his head back and turned to the side to observe her. "You looked really pretty in that dress. I should have said so earlier."

"Um... thanks."

"You look pretty in that too."

Bella halfway snorted. She was pretty ragged in the worn out pj's. She shoved him. "Now, you're being facetious."

He grabbed her fingers and didn't let go. Jacob slowly rubbed her entire arm. "No, I'm not."

"I'm capable of judging when you're pretty which is all the time by the way."

Bella felt a swirl of warm feelings move through her, sitting there alone in the almost dark with him. She kinda felt like a teenager except all those years ago, she never did anything with him when Charlie would leave them alone for all hours of the night. He ended up turning her hand over with his underneath. Jacob stopped and lifted her arm again. He leaned in extremely close, she felt his warm breath on her skin. "What the hell is going on here?"

"What?"

"Your scar. I distinctly remember it there."

"Oh that. Well, it finally healed and went away."

"When? Why am I just now realizing this?"

Jacob rubbed two fingers over her wrist several times. Bella reminded him she almost wore long sleeves so he probably just hadn't noticed.

"It was a thick scar. You don't heal scars, Bells, especially from a fucking bloodthirsty vamp. I know it was there when I first found you in California." He cleared his throat. "You didn't have on long sleeves in bed in case you forgot." His voice was low and husky bringing up the sexual liaison. "But I guess I wasn't paying attention, um... the last time, back at the apartment, either."

She bit her lip. Of course, she didn't forget either instance when they'd been up close and personal and Bella honestly didn't know why she never showed him her arm. It was surprising and noteworthy perhaps, but she'd been fairly preoccupied since being back.

"Well, no. You're right actually. It looked the same for years, but when I was pregnant it got better and by the time Atticus was born, it was gone."

"How?"

She shrugged her shoulder, "I don't know. I was glad it disappeared, it made me self-conscious. I never questioned it. Do you think it means something or that it's a big deal?"

Jacob brought her wrist to his nose and took a deep breath of her skin, then he placed tender lips there and kissed her three times on her wrist. "Yeah, Bells I think it's a huge deal."

 _ **~Thanks so much for reading.**_

 _ **I don't get to post as often so I would love to hear from you. It's been awhile since Jacob had a chapter. His POV is coming up next. I'll have some insight to what's going on with his busy life. Hit me back with your theories about Bella's scar. Jake's right, it's a big deal.**_


	37. Chapter 37

_**~A/N Jacob's POV as promised and it's super long. Lots going on in the chapter. I would love to hear from those of you that pick up various clues I leave throughout. Still going slow, it's what you guys want, right?**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 37: A Strong Foundation

Jacob finished with the meeting. He sent two of the guys to do patrol, Sam was swinging by the kid, Canyon's house to keep an eye on him. They were probably days away from having a new wolf. Everyone else was headed home. Leah was at Bella's and participated in the meeting through the mind link. He stopped the doctor before going inside.

"Hey, Carlisle can we speak in private, maybe out here?"

Edward creeped in from the side. "I thought you had words for me first, dog." No doubt he'd been reading his mind about how annoyed he was at him for speaking to Bella.

Jacob pushed him out of his way. "No, later. Get the fuck out of here. I swear I'm renaming you gnat instead of tick. You swarm around like an annoying insect. But while you're standing there, Carlisle can be my witness. Stay away from Bells. Don't follow her, run her off the road or anything remotely close to bothering her."

Carlisle broke in," Edward, please tell me you didn't."

"She willingly stopped. I would never drive dangerously around Bella and her child. These mutts have done nothing but overreact since they reemerged. She and I were merely conversing about her paying Esme a visit."

"Edward, Esme knows Bella is busy taking care of her child and working on some projects for the Quileutes. She's been in touch with Alice and Rose."

The gnat twisted his face to prove how disappointed he was feeling that Bella's problems weren't with the family, they clearly were only with him.

"I'll phone from now on."

"That falls under the bothering category. Listen, we appreciate what you all are doing here to protect Bells and Ace, but I need to speak to Carlisle in a professional sense, you may go now." Jacob brushed his hand at Edward hoping he got the point.

"What? Is she sick? The baby? I told her the world is bombarded with germs. She shouldn't be going to that crowded market. Can't you provide for your own meals?"

Jacob realized Edward was probably not going to listen about leaving and fighting with him at the moment was too much. He still had some work to accomplish. He started to open up to Carlisle about James's bite. Edward was reading his mind and blurting out things ahead of him. He let plenty of bad words slip through his subconscious, as well as how close he and Bells were when he noticed her unmarred skin.

Edward turned around and looked over the deck railing towards the forest. Carlisle was intrigued. "That's very curious indeed, Jacob. I honestly have no medical reason for something like that to occur. I guess you realize something supernatural took place."

The bloodsucker stood off to the side wallowing in his own form of self-pity. It had been a long time, but he wasn't over her. Bella realized in the nick of time, she wanted to remain human. It was obvious to Jacob, Edward only reminded her of a series of very bad choices that were almost irreversible. He'd been warned, Jacob was going to be blunt with Carlisle. He told him that his first theory was the mark, so he went on to explain about the marking ritual, but Bella's was a little different than the other imprints. It was a human mark, not exactly a wolf mark since he didn't change until a couple of days later.

That caught Edward's attention. "The whole lot of you are barbarians, no wonder she doesn't smell the same or even act the same as a matter of fact."

"Son, perhaps you should go on a hunt. Jacob tried to spare you."

Jacob laughed at that remark. That isn't what he was trying to do, he just wanted him to get the hell away from him.

Edward remained.

Jacob continued. "Or could Ace's conception and growth inside her be the true reason she healed even though he's a long time away from shifting? We don't have anything to compare it to. Kim and Rachel are mothers and marked mates, but obviously were never infected with venom. However, I know for a fact they don't have healing abilities. Kim broke her ankle on the ice last winter and it was a drawn out recovery. Rachel is a spaz in the kitchen and needed nine stitches when Willow was only about six months old. They all come down with normal colds and illnesses. Bella said she had not been sick since having the baby, but she had a normal postpartum recovery. There doesn't appear to be unexplained healing going on. My mark scarred over and didn't go away. Ace has been sick twice, but he did get better fairly quickly each time."

Carlisle told him maybe it was an anomaly without explanation. He offered to draw some of Bella's blood if Jacob would allow it. "I wouldn't dare ask to take the infant's unless it was absolutely necessary. Think about it. Bella and your son are healthy and that's all that matters."

Jacob agreed, but he had it in his head something extraordinary was going on and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since he saw with his own eyes. He would leave that decision up to Bells. He stayed way longer than he ever intended so he made his way back to the house. He was so close to being finished with his present now. Rachel texted earlier a package came addressed to him. That meant his next gift to Bells would be complete.

* * *

He thought everyone was in bed so he only turned on the lights he absolutely had to. Embry stumbled in about thirty minutes after him. Jacob asked how patrol went in the morning. He was free after the meeting and Jacob was the only other one that knew what he'd been up to.

His brother started making a couple of sandwiches and offered to make him one as well. "No thanks, I'm stuffed from Bella's cooking, but I'll take a glass of cold milk if you don't mind."

Embry brought the glass over and sat down a few chairs over to eat. Jacob shook his head. "Like that helps. I smelled it the minute you stepped inside the door."

His brother hung his head low. He wasn't embarrassed or ashamed, but Jacob knew this was one huge secret for some reason and he promised to stay quiet unless it affected the job of protecting his family. Embry deserved a break and even though he'd insisted this was only about blowing off steam, Jacob was hopeful for him... for both of them.

"You about done?"

Jacob studied the sketch. He couldn't decide. He thought it looked right, maybe it was time for a second opinion. Rachel came from down the hall. Maybe a third was also in order.

"Is this a boys' only powwow or can big sis join in?"

Embry looked at Jake and squinted his eyes, like _no more talk about you know what._

"Of course you can stay, I'm ready to show both of you one of the things I've been working one." Rachel clapped her hands together in excitement. Jacob pushed away his makeshift barricade and lifted up the drawing. "What do you think? Does it look like them?"

"Holy shit, brother. I thought you were designing houses." Jacob said he was but this was his most important job recently.

Embry concurred. "Yes, it's just like a photograph. She's going to love it." Jacob had taken his favorite picture of Bella and Ace, which happened to be that spontaneous selfie the night he was missing them both like crazy and had it printed. Then he started studying it and turned it into one of his best pencil sketches in his opinion. Rachel got all weepy. She said Bella was going to appreciate that more than any gift he could ever buy.

"I mean, the details are so exquisite. I can count each and everyone of his long lashes. You captured the spirit of them so beautifully. I haven't seen you draw people since you were fifteen and used to copy comic book heroes."

"I don't really, that's why I took my time to get it right, but I actually bought her something as well. It all connects." Jacob opened the small box that came in the mail. He pulled out the woven leather bracelet that had the sterling silver mother and child charm. He also had several extra clasps so he could add to it. Bella would have a proper charm bracelet that she could decide what she wanted to add. He told them he was going to clean up the edges of the wolf with some fine grit sandpaper and rub in a special oil that would have it looking fresh and give her the sketch and the bracelet hopefully some time tomorrow.

Embry got up to head for the shower, but before he left them alone, he told Jake, he really liked the turn around they'd all witnessed. Embry and Jacob had worked through a bunch of issues over the past few weeks. Kaleigh made it easier by falling from grace in a way. The blame game was over for them. Jacob needed to return some calls to the lawyer but he'd put it off for a few days. She was digging in now and refusing to sell the house and property, so Jacob was insisting on her buying him out. He wasn't going to continuing paying on it. He always made the house payment. Her lawyers were longtime friends of her parents. They found ways to stretch everything out. Was there such thing as miracles? Kaleigh had become a completely different person over the stress, Jacob hoped there was a possibility she could revert back to a rational human being before this dragged out much longer. He was seriously thinking about appealing to Mack. His lawyer would not advise it because of the pending assault charge, but it might work. He'd keep his plans to himself for now.

Jake told Rachel he was turning in soon. "I know the sketch isn't all you've been doing. Why are you always working after hours and spending all that time at the library? I can keep a secret... even from Paul."

"There's a man from Thailand. I know him from the conferences I attend in California. He's a leader in global architecture and he's specifically interested in structures that can withstand Mother Nature's fury. That happens to be my strong suit. He and I talked on several occasions and he gave me his business card." Jacob was looking to get hired on with his company as a freelance architect. He would be fully responsible on how much work he did and in his own time. "I just have to prove myself. I have to present ten large scale designs in a relatively short amount of time for his investors' approvals, so that's why I feel like I'm working nonstop."

"I'm proud of you. I believe in you and so does Bella. Share this news with her. That's what partners do."

He'd been tempted many times but he really wanted the job in the bag before he told her. "I don't want to let her down if it doesn't happen. I mean, I've got the garage thing, but I need more money to get through the divorce without losing my shirt completely. I want to provide for my son. I also need the sign-on bonus Mr. Thumying is promising. I really want to buy the abandoned the Mahoney house."

"Seriously, I thought it was condemned. Didn't that guy end up in a mental institution when his plans failed so miserably?"

"I think he had a breakdown because his company went belly up and he's broke, but I can do something about that so-called condemned thing. That's my first design plan to woo Mr. Thumying. I know what the builders did wrong. I have a solution to save the house. It will take extensive redesign and I'm going to have to tear half the damn thing down, but there's a small cabin nearby that comes with it. I'm going to build this house with Bells in mind. We're going to raise our kids there. I've seen it in my mind many times."

"You dream big little brother, always have. That's one of your best qualities. Okay, I promise I'll keep everything hush hush until you're ready, but it'll cost you?"

"What? You always were the worst of the worst with your blackmailing."

"It's a simple question. Does Emb have a girlfriend?"

"Go to bed, Rachel."

"So the answer's 'yes?' I knew it."

Jacob never said that but he wasn't about to discuss any of Embry's love life with her. It was far too close to home and those women talked. The were a band of gossips.

"One more thing, Rach. Can you make extra of that smoothie mess you blend up in the morning?"

"Why Jacob, are you craving antioxidants?"

"Hardly, it's not for me. I thought Bells might appreciate it. I doubt she wants a pastry every morning. I want to give her healthy shit too."

"Gotcha and you're going to be dropping off Bella something every morning now?"

Jacob told her that it was the plan for now. They had to rebuild and he'd decided the best way was to remember the best parts of their past while celebrating their present: things like taking care of Ace together, being a family with the pack and allowing time to get to know who they were as adults. They'd rushed before without thinking and he was grateful for their son, but they needed to build a firm foundation. It reminded him of the plans for the Mahoney place. Those dumbasses cut corners and rushed and the house could have very well fallen off in the ocean. Jacob knew how to fix it. He hoped his plans for his relationship with Bella were just as good.

* * *

Jacob twisted the key in the backdoor slowly, he was running a few minutes later than the day before. He sat down the box and took the smoothie to the fridge. He needed to finish his note. He unfolded the paper to read what he had so far.

 _Hey,_

 _So, you might be wondering if I'm making a habit of this and the answer is "hopefully." I've been thinking a lot about how we used to be. We were so close back then, best friends with the potential to be so much more. However, all that time,_ _ **he**_ _over-shadowed that potential. Now, nothing stands in our way, but our own hardheadedness. I'm not keeping count anymore, Bells, about who did or didn't do what they should have. I plan to spoil you like crazy for now. I don't want anything in return. I have no ulterior motives other than wanting to make you smile everyday I leave you a note and a treat._

He'd stopped there. He needed to jot down something about the smoothie. It looked disgusting but Rachel swore by them. Jacob hoped Bella didn't think he was playing a joke on her by bringing that pale purple concoction to her. He watched all the stuff Rachel put into it and he almost gagged.

He was just going to finish off the note when her scent wafted through the room. He looked up and saw her coming down the stairs with Ace on her hip.

"Morning, you two."

Bella walked over to Jake. Ace was already kicking his feet with excitement. His face lit up to see his father. Jacob reached for him and motorboated on his fat cheek. "What's this?" She was pointing to the box in front of him.

"Oh, well, I was about to write it out, but I'll just tell you. I need to get going. This is that box I mentioned. There's some old pictures and stuff that might remind you of some good times. Also, there's a blueberry-kale smoothie with oats in the fridge. I hope it doesn't make you hurl, but Rachel drinks them all the time."

"No, that sounds delicious. Thanks. Do you have time for breakfast? I swear I won't put kale in it."

"No, honestly, I'm late already." He kissed Ace one more time and asked Bella where she wanted him.

"The swing's fine. I need to make something for Dad."

Jacob put his arm around her and gave her squeeze. "See you later, Bells. I heard you're going out to the res."

"Yes, I'm taking Atticus to visit some of the council. I think I might make them some food. Rachel invited me to dinner too. Will you be home yet?"

"I can be if you're going to be there."

She smiled at him and he was happier than he'd been in a long time.

* * *

The garage was hopping all morning. Jacob had been under a Dodge for nearly an hour, but he had to get the orders out before two o'clock so they'd be there the next day. Ashley floated by him and kicked at his foot. She kept babbling about something. He pretended it was too hard to hear her and would talk to her after he was done with his job.

She disappeared back in the office. It wasn't unheard of that she could do the ordering. Jacob made a super easy system that even a ten year old could navigate, but when he went inside she was taking pictures of herself behind the desk. The laptop was closed so she was not accomplishing a damn thing.

"I need to order unless you plan on it."

"Oh, no, you know what we need."

"So do you, if you'd read the list."

She laughed it off and said she'd watch the front instead. Jacob gave her credit for that. She knew how to snag the male clientele. He swore plenty of guys came in with so-called "problems" with their cars when nothing was actually wrong.

Jacob could feel Bells a mile away. She was at the garage. He jumped up from behind the desk. What if something was wrong with Ace? He hadn't heard from her that she might stop by. The only message he got all day was she enjoyed the yummy smoothie.

He stopped at the door and listened. Ashley was chatting away about how Bella was back. He cracked the door and saw his son in the stroller with Bella holding tight to the handle. She was annoyed, it was obvious and he smelled food. He told her he wasn't expecting anything in return but it seemed she was bringing him lunch.

He couldn't help himself, he was spying on the two women.

"So, how are you? I heard."

"Heard what, Ashley?"

"You know, about Edward and all. How are you dealing with the breakup?"

"Seeing how that was almost a decade ago, I'd say I dealt with it fine. It was my idea, actually."

"Oh, well that's not how I heard it from Lauren."

Bella asked where Jacob was.

"He's in the office, working. I'll check if he can be disturbed." Ashley finally stopped yapping and bent down to take a closer look at Ace. "Well, look at you, little cutie. I guess this is _Jacob's_ son. Anyone could spot that." She lowered her voice for affect. "I heard that story as well, but don't worry your secret's safe around here. Anywho, this little man is so handsome just like his daddy."

"There's no secret to keep. Jacob and I have a son together. Everyone already knows." Bella started pushing the stroller. She looked like she was ready to mow Ashley down. She pointed to the office, so Jake quietly closed the door. "Is that where Jake is? I'm here with his lunch and to visit with _our_ son."

Jacob ran back to the desk to pretend he wasn't eavesdropping. Ashley tried to stop her. "Wait, customers aren't allowed in the office." Bella swung open the door. "Sorry, Jake. I told her."

"It's fine, Ashley, my family is not the same as any old customer. The orders are done, so I'm taking a lunch break, please don't disturb me for the next half hour."

She faked laughed and smiled at Bells and shut the door.

"Seriously, did you get a load of that get-up? Her heels are at least six inches. Does she really dress like that everyday in an automotive garage?"

"I don't pay attention to how she dresses and she doesn't even come in everyday, Bells. Who cares about Ash, whatcha got in the bag? She's holding out on me, huh, Ace? I smell beef, grilled onions and melted cheese."

Bella unwrapped everything from the bag. "I made a big batch of super-stuffed Philly cheese steak sandwiches. I just dropped off Dad's. I called Old Quil and he seemed pretty excited. I think Quil was listening in, so I expect him to be there as well. I made plenty." Jacob didn't waste any time digging in.

"Are you eating the other one?"

"No, I had a salad at home. Those are both yours. There's kettle chips as well and leftover trifle." Jacob was happily stuffing his face while Bella paced around the small space. He had a cold ham and cheese in the fridge, but this sandwich from Bells would really stick to his ribs. "She's something else, isn't she?"

"Who?"

"Ashley or is it Ash, your pet name for her?"

"Jesus, Bells. I shorten names. It isn't a pet name and I do my best to pay as little attention to her as humanly possible."

"Well, I'm certain she wasn't this glamorous in high school. I guess she got better with age. Lucky for her, I guess."

"How about her father left her with a wad of insurance money and she bought several enhancements to improve on her looks."

"Oh, well, maybe so. I swear some of those enhancements were almost ready to spill out in Atticus's face when she leaned over him. Who knows, he might refuse mine from here on out thinking they should be bigger, better and perkier."

Jacob almost choked on a pepper. "Seriously, you're talking crazy. He's never going to refuse you. He knows what you've got cooking up in there. Yours are quite fine and plenty perky. I should know."

She tried to hide her embarrassment but it was painted all over her cheeks. Jacob winked at her. She was quiet maybe five minutes and then she was back on Ashley Dowling again.

"How can one look that fine in cowprint? I couldn't fill a dress out like that in my wildest dreams. What about these jeans, Jake?"

She turned in a circle. "They fit good."

"Yeah, I always thought they were comfy, but last night I realized they flatten out my butt and are they too high waisted?" She lifted her top and exposed some skin above her waist.

Jacob sat down his sandwich and admitted a little bit of what she was currently doing to him. "I'm trying to take things slow, but you bring me delicious food and then beg me to think about your tits and ass. I can only show so much restraint. You look perfectly fine to me, Bells. There's no reason to be insecure and Ashley will never be my type. I deal with her for one reason and one reason only. I'm sure you can guess why?"

"Her enhancements?"

He laughed hysterically, but walked over to her. Jacob put his arms around her and hugged her tight against his chest. He was even bold enough to let his hands slide a little lower and give her a gentle squeeze. "Just right, not flat." He kissed the top of her head. "I meant the fact that she signs my paychecks, honey. You're the only woman I plan on looking at from here on out. Everyone else is merely in the background."

"Thanks, but I need some new clothes. I feel boring."

Jacob reached in his pocket. He'd just gotten some cash out from the ATM. "Here, go shopping, just take a couple of the guys."

"I can't take that. You're trying to save money."

"Bells, I can give you a couple hundred bucks. I got paid yesterday. It's fine. I insist."

She looked reluctant but she took the money and shoved it in her back pocket. "Okay, maybe I'll go Friday, but I'm paying you back. Billy and I are in negotiations for an hourly wage for whenever I'm working on the projects. He's offering too much, so I'm trying to make him think rationally."

She was seriously the only woman that would ever insist on lower pay, "Fine, but two wolves, that's the important part."

"Understood. Thanks, Jake."

"Thank you, for this delicious sandwich, but I should get back to work and you should get to the two Quils. They're probably starved by now."

He kissed Ace and Bella waved goodbye at the door. He already missed them, but at least he only had to wait about five more hours before dinner.

* * *

The driveway was full of cars. He guessed Rachel invited more than just Bells and Ace over. Jacob was hoping to get a moment of privacy to give her the gifts tonight. He didn't want to leave those things on the counter. He really wanted to see her reaction.

Bella's mom was there as well as Charlie and Sue. Kim and Jared had gone out with Sam and Emily for the evening so Quil and Claire were babysitting at Sam's place. Brady had stopped by for the free meal and Leah decided to make an appearance, but she was stuck to her mother's side trying to be casual. Bella, Rachel, Leah and Sue were the ones working in the kitchen while Renee commanded the conversation with Dad and Charlie. Willow was on the floor with Ace. Paul and Sage were battling it out on the PS4.

Sage yelled out. "You face the winner, okay Uncle Jake?"

"Sure thing, kid. I'm sure it will be you. You're kicking the old man's ass."

Willow held her hands over Ace's ears, "That's a buck in the swear jar, Uncle Jake."

"A buck, I thought it was only a quarter."

"We call it inflation. I learned that at school, so pay up."

He walked over to his sister and kissed her cheek. "She's a bossy little thing, pretty much the spitting image of you." Rachel pointed to the swear jar which was practically overflowing with bills. "Hot damn, she's rich."

"Yeah, Embry and Paul got into over Black Ops a couple of days ago. She raked in the dough."

Jacob dropped in a buck but Willow had big ears. "Make it two, I heard the _D_ word after hot."

Bella was giggling while she stirred the pot at the stove. Jacob tickled her sides. "Oh you think it's funny, I'm getting played by a second grader?"

"Third, Uncle Jake."

Bella wiggled against him which felt a little too good. He needed to stick his head in the freezer to cool off. "Yes, I think it's a riot, but it's a good idea. Willow's our little entrepreneur. The way you guys talk, I'm sure she'll have college paid for when it's all said and done."

"Whatcha stirring there?"

"Marinara, you wanna taste?"

He was still touching her at the waist. This little display of flirting in front of everyone was causing a different kind of stirring, somewhere in his pants. Jacob got his mouth closer to her ear. "I always want a taste."

Bella dropped the ladle. "Careful, Bells." He picked up the spoon again with just a little bit of sauce clinging to it. "You blowing on it or should I?" Her cute little mouth puckered up and she blew a steady stream of air to cool it off. When she thought she'd done a thorough job, Bells shoved it closer to his mouth. Jacob slurped from the spoon. "Needs a tiny more salt, but it's good, really good."

He needed to step away from her, he also needed to visit the restroom to calm himself down. Taking things slow was necessary, but he was starting to apologize to his dick on a daily basis. "Sorry, buddy. I know it hurts, but one day we'll have her anytime we want."

* * *

Dinner was great and very filling. Jacob had a date with his nephew on the PS4, but first he needed to get Bella alone. She was talking about leaving soon to take her mother back to her apartment. Jacob was going to have to sit down soon with Bella and talk about Renee. There was something that was bugging him about her and it really wasn't the fact that she was nuts. His dad liked having her around and he and Rachel had discussed that friendship. Neither of them saw it as a problem, but he suspected Bella, Charlie and Sue thought that it was.

"Hey, can you spare a few minutes? I've got your present, go to the back porch. I don't want an audience."

Bella looked over at her mother and Billy entertaining Ace, so she nodded and started walking to the back of the house. Jacob grabbed the gift from where he'd stashed it. Rachel smiled from across the room. She'd wrapped the bracelet really fancy. He was probably only going to hand her the plain white box with a bow on it. He mouthed _thanks_ to his sister.

Jacob turned on the light even though he'd prefer sitting out there in the dark with her. She needed to be able to see the sketch.

He handed her the present first and she eagerly unwrapped it. Bella held up the charm and gasped out a surprised noise. "Oh, Jake, it's so gorgeous, a new charm and the wolf looks brand new like the night you first gave it to me."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, I love it."

"That's a mother and child."

"I know, I've seen them before. It's beautiful, honestly." Jacob asked if he could put it on her. He told her about the other links to add new charms.

"Thank you so much. This is perfect. I'm never taking it off except to bathe."

"I'm glad you liked it. There's one more thing."

"The bracelet's enough, really you shouldn't have."

"It's homemade, so don't worry, but I really wanted you to have this too." Jacob carefully unrolled the sketch and presented it to Bella.

This time, she cried. "That's us. I can't believe it. I didn't know you could draw like this. I know this pose. I have this on my phone."

"Yeah, it's my favorite one. Ace is laying on your hair like a pillow and you're both smiling."

"I love it. I'm going to frame it and keep it in my room. Thank you so much."

They had a couple of picnic tables out on the screened in porch so Jacob had a seat at the end. Bella sat down the drawing and climbed into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and started to stroke her hair. She told him she'd been looking through the box.

"Does it make you happy or sad?"

"No, not sad. Maybe a few weeks ago, it would've made me sad but not now. Do you know why?"

She rested her head over his heart and they stayed like that a few minutes. Life with Bella had been full of ups and downs, but the subtle changes that were taking place recently only appeared to be elevating them, no longer bringing them down. He was pretty sure he knew the answer to her question. "Yeah, honey, I know why."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I'm positively convinced I've turned this story into a puddle of goo. See, my angst has purpose, it leads to a grand makeup between the main characters.**_


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: The Wrong Way

"Mom, did you hear me? I asked what you were in the mood for?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I might sip on hot tea is all."

Bella thought that was weird. Her mother was the one that called and asked if she wanted to eat with her at the diner. Jacob offered to hang out with the baby to give them a break. She was starting to think something was up, maybe Jake knew as well.

Renee noticed her friend behind the counter so she started waving and yelling "yoo hoo." She was just getting off her shift. Her mother waved the woman over and introduced her to Bella. The first thing Bella noticed was the waitress, Shelly was very young, maybe just out of high school. Her mother told her she'd see her in a few days for some plans they'd made.

"Mom, that girl is really young. What could you possibly have in common?"

"My goodness, Bella, were you always so preoccupied with age?"

Maybe she was, but not the same way she used to be as a teen hoping never to grow older than Edward.

"Shelly is lots of fun."

"Fine, I'm glad you're making friends, but something is going on with you. I know I abandoned you, and those had to be difficult years for you and Dad, but I'm here now and I truly want to understand. Is something wrong?"

Renee patted her hand and told her to stop being such a worrier. She barely acted like she was paying attention to any of Bella's attempt at conversation. "I think I'll have soup after all. What are you having?"

Bella decided on half a turkey club, and a cup of soup while her mother ordered the bowl of the vegetable soup. She also got her hot tea while Bella ordered iced.

The food came in very little time and Bella was no closer to figuring out her mother than before. She was often ravenous at the end of the day, nursing certainly boosted her appetite. Bella dug into her sandwich first and then started sipping on the soup. She noticed her mother was still fidgeting with the tea. Renee was thinner than before, now that she studied her closer.

Bella was fed up with the runaround. She was about to push a little harder, but Renee was finally eating. It all happened in a flash. First, she was sipping on spoonful of soup and then she was violently choking. A few customers and the manager came over to offer their assistance. Bella didn't know what to think or do, maybe she should dial 911. Had she sucked a veggie down the wrong pipe? Her mother finally stopped gagging and started to calm down.

Of course, everyone wanted to know if she was alright. Bella was surprised that her mother wanted to leave, but insisted that all was fine. She pushed away her food. Bella didn't even have the check but she left more than enough to cover the tab on the table. They walked to Renee's little efficiency.

Bella insisted on coming up with her mother. Something was definitely wrong, Renee climbed the stairs at her apartment like an old lady. She'd never seen anything like it. She was just with her days before and she seemed her normal self, whatever that actually meant.

"Thanks, sweetie. Your mother's ready for bed. I enjoyed our night out."

"Are you serious? Mom, what the hell is just happened?" Renee looked away, but Bella persisted. "I'm not leaving until you fess up. If you weren't feeling well, why did you invite me out?"

She was expecting to hear her admit something simple like she had a sore throat or an upset stomach but her ears must be deceiving her. Renee didn't even sound like herself, but Bella saw her lips moving as she admitted the truth. "I have multiple sclerosis, I have for years. It was manageable at first. I hardly believed my diagnosis, but it's progressed and it's becoming much more severe."

"What does that mean? Mom, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have fussed at you." She didn't know much about MS, but it wasn't life-threatening or so she thought. "How severe?"

"I frequently have trouble swallowing. My mobility is becoming more and more troublesome."

"Well, you've moved recently, who on earth is your doctor? I'd like to go with you to your next appointment and gain some insight, maybe you need a change in medication. I assume you're on some."

"Oh, about that. I'm done with doctors and their conflicting opinions and those nasty pills all have too many side effects."

"Mother. You just admitted you have a serious condition and it's getting worse. You need to be followed by a competent physician. I'm going to do some research, we'll go to Seattle if necessary. Perhaps, you're suffering more lately because you're completely non-compliant. Does Dad know?"

Bella was nearing the point of anger, but she didn't think that was fair. Who was she angry with? Maybe herself more than anyone.

"Your father doesn't know and I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this to yourself. I only confided in Billy. He understands." It all made sense to Bella now. Billy had a portion of his independence taken from him and that's why her mother sought him out and confided in him. "I'm sorry, honey. I know you're getting your life back on track. I don't want to bring you down with my problems. Watching you trying to make a fresh start with your little family is what keeps me going. I'm rooting for you and Jake and I adore my grandson. He's the light of my world."

Bella left Renee soon after because she insisted she needed some rest and would be better tomorrow. That's how it was, good days and bad days. She came home with a heavy burden. Why was her mother so stubborn? Bella really didn't know how to behave, it wasn't her body experiencing a debilitating illness. It would've been so much easier if it had been a mid-life crisis.

* * *

She found Jacob sitting alone on the couch. "Hey, where's Atticus and Dad?"

He switched off the TV. "I wore the kid out, he crashed. Charlie took Sue out for dinner and a movie. I'm not sure if those two kids are coming back tonight if you know what I mean." He did an exaggerated wink, but Bella could barely feign a smile and Jake noticed right away. "You look upset, honey. Wanna talk about it?"

Bella plopped down next to him. "Mom's sick."

Jacob wrapped his arm around her. "I suspected there was something going on. I caught some portions of the hushed conversations between her and Dad. I wanted to give her a chance to open up to you before I said something. How bad?"

Bella told him what she knew which wasn't much.

"Okay, well, that's not as bad as it could be. I mean, it just sounds like Renee needs a new doctor. We can help her. I have some experience with these episodes of denial. Dad went through it. He still does when changes arise."

"We?"

"Sure, honey. This is your mother, Ace's grandmother. I'm here for both of you. We could speak to Carlisle, at least we can trust he knows all the best physicians in every field."

Bella thought that sounded like a good idea and Jacob admitted his father might be the only one that could reach her, so he encouraged their friendship. "I'm so dumb. I thought she was trying to make Dad jealous because he's into Sue and she hates not being the center of attention."

Jacob laughed. "Dad thinks of her as a friend only. He told me so." He picked her up and wrapped her completely in his embrace. Jacob kissed her head. "Everything's going to be fine. Don't get stressed out, Bells. It's a setback. I'm confidant she'll be okay or at least, get better."

She relaxed against him. "That's my specialty. I fret about things that are out of my control." Jacob listened to her fears and her regrets again. He didn't interrupt her or tell her how to feel. They probably sat there talking and cuddling for nearly an hour. Bella felt closer than ever to him. She wasn't sure how her need for comfort over her mother had turned into a growing need for something more with Jacob.

His hand was slowly stroking her hair, her cheek was against his chest and she felt so safe and loved. They were taking it slow, but that didn't mean they should never take a step forward. Jacob had been giving her butterflies with all his touching notes, and thoughtful presents. She'd been dying to show him a little more appreciation. Bella lifted up a little and kissed him on his throat but she didn't pull away quickly. Her lips lingered on his skin. She felt him swallow and his breathing picked up. He leaned back, but she lifted up more to be level with him. They were staring, face to face, so close they were breathing the same air.

"Bells, you take the lead. I'll stop whenever you say."

"You have to start to stop, Jake. Do you want to kiss me or not?"

He tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her until they lips were almost touching. "Are you joking? Yes, always." Their mouths came together again with a certain sense of urgency. Bella changed her position without ever stopping. She needed to be closer, she needed his whole body against hers. Her knees pushed deeper into the couch cushions which pushed her center directly into Jake's eager member. Wow! Why did it always escalate so quickly with them? She thought a kiss would be nice and now she was considering so much more, right on this nice leather couch of her father's. They probably shouldn't be making out like this out in the open, but she wasn't prepared to stop by any means.

Jacob only stopped kissing her mouth to start kissing other spots that felt equally as nice. He lifted her up and promptly laid her on her back. He climbed over her and now her entire body was being pressed against the cushions. Her outside leg kept falling to the carpet. He reached down and pulled it back. She gave in and wrapped them both tightly around his torso. They were kissing, they were rocking their bodies against each other and she was almost ready to start shedding some clothes. His hand went up her top, but he pulled back to gauge her reaction.

"Keep going. I didn't say to stop."

He palmed her bra covered breast and they started up again. She wasn't even thinking anymore, Bella was just feeling and being with Jake felt right despite everything going on around them.

Jacob grinded into her more. She moaned as the pleasure commenced to building. "Bells, I want you so damn bad." He growled against her neck and then he was plundering her mouth again.

Bella had one word for him if he ever released her lips. _Take._ She wanted him just as badly. There was no reason to stop as far as she was concerned and then the whine echoed from the monitor. It was faint at first, but then grew louder and more insistent over a short few seconds.

She pushed at his chest. He lifted up and then fell back on her. "Seriously? He was sound asleep."

Bella wiggled her way out from underneath him. "Well, he's up now and he's ticked. I guess he's hungry or wet."

"No, he sucked down a whole bottle and I changed him. I thought you said he slept all night now."

She was beginning to take issue with his tone and Atticus continued to wail louder on the baby monitor. Bella tried to get up, but he grabbed her by the wrist. "I have to go check on him. He's not used to being put down by anyone but me. "

"That's because you spoil him. Let's wait a second and see if he cries himself back to sleep."

That did it. She was pissed. Ugh, he was such a man. Bella jerked her arm away and started for the steps. "That's very mature, Daddy, taking your frustrations out on your son. He's just a tiny baby, Jake. He doesn't know any better. Sorry, getting your rocks off is more important than your child's needs. You can let yourself out."

Jacob fell back against the back of the couch and pulled his hands through his hair until it stuck out in every direction and he looked crazed.

"That's not what I meant, Bells. It's just... dammit!" He tried to follow her, "Let me help."

She shook her head and waved her arms out in front of him. "Go, Jake. I've been doing this on my own for months."

She regretted the words as soon as she uttered them.

"Yeah, who's fucking fault is that?" Bella turned around again. If looks could kill, Jacob would be a dead man at the bottom of her father's stairs. He said they weren't going to toss that sort of shit back and forth anymore and yet he went there. There was plenty she could say back, but her child needed her. Bella knew they both made colossal failures during the past few tense minutes. She needed to get away from him before either of them said something else they couldn't take back. As soon as Bella made it the top of the stairs, the door slammed loudly.

She got her wish, Jacob was gone.

 _ **~Thanks so much for reading.**_

 _ **Sometimes, we stumble and have setbacks. #sorrynotsorry**_

 _ **Lots more to come. In fact, as the review count rises, this little tale just might end up being my most successful fic. Thank you so much in advance. Hitting a thousand reviews was a huge goal of mine and now I'm looking at having 3 stories with over a thousand. My readers are the best!**_

 ** _I also posted a three part Valentine's one shot on my story, Sketches (chapter 42, 43, 44) if you want to check it out._**


	39. Chapter 39

_**~So pleased with the reviews last update. I'm glad no one panicked. It should be expected to have bumps along the way to reconciliation.**_

 _ **Thanks to the guest reviewer that reminded me of Adele's song, "When We Were Young" It was my inspiration for these chapters.**_

Chapter 39: The Heart Knows

Bella found Atticus in certain misery rolling around his crib. He wasn't about to cry it out and go back to sleep on his own. She wasn't sure why she got so mad, Jake was only making a suggestion which wasn't exactly cruel and Renee had said something similar once before. Bella stood up to her mother as well. _Let me do this my way_ was her mentality. She and Jake were getting carried away down there on the sofa and it felt amazing to finally let go. She had to admit she was also frustrated. Bella sat in the new rocker Jacob bought her, he trashed that old one Edward used to sit in long before she ever came back. She wasn't sure how he explained that certain destruction of property to her father. Atticus really wasn't hurting or in too much distress like he pretended to be, he was more overtired than anything. He just needed the reassurance his mommy was there for a few minutes. She rocked and nursed him for several minutes until he was sound asleep again. That took all of fifteen minutes, but she'd sent Jake away and now she was sitting there alone in the dark reliving the mistakes they'd made. She felt a heavy burden of regret.

Jacob was so understanding and compassionate when she talked about Renee. Bella was the one that initiated the makeout session, but he had to act childish when he clearly promised to stop in the beginning. Truth was if Atticus hadn't cried, she wouldn't have stopped. Bella was damn certain, she would've gotten naked and mounted him right there in the living room. The baby cramping the parents' style was a casualty of parenthood, wasn't it? It kind of made them more normal as far as Bella was concerned. Telling him he wasn't needed wasn't normal though. That sucked, but Jacob blaming her sucked as well. Jeez, both of them sucked terribly.

Bella decided to go to bed, nothing to stay up for now. Jacob had already sent a few messages of apology. She typed out an answer that she was going to sleep and it was over and that she was also sorry. She told him they should forget about it but also that Atticus was fine and resting peacefully again. The misunderstanding was lame, but she was too tired and upset to kept rehashing it, they could sort it out properly tomorrow.

* * *

Bella nervously chewed her nails when she looked around the empty kitchen. Maybe she single-handedly screwed up all their progress because it was the first morning in over a week, Bella didn't have a morning surprise from Jacob. She'd been telling him, every single day wasn't necessary but now that there wasn't a note or a cup of coffee or a smoothie or even a bubblegum machine toy which was the funniest gift yet, she missed the entire ritual. He gave her a cheap looking compass one day and she kept it by the bed and stared at it more than was normal. It was something only the two of them would get.

Charlie, on the other hand was in a good mood. It seemed like his night alone with the one he loved went way better than hers. Was he whistling? He practically skipped down the stairs before proceeding to get down on the floor with Atticus so they could have their traditional morning greeting. He stepped in the kitchen and informed Bella coffee was plenty. He was in a rush.

His upbeat demeanor made her feel even worst. Why did she make Jacob leave? He could've come upstairs with her. They should take care of their son together and then maybe Atticus wouldn't be so picky when it came to going down for the night. He had his father around a lot, but more interactions would be better for all of them.

Bella saw her father looking around the blank countertop. He kept quiet, but then the doorbell rang. "That must be it. He forgot his key today."

She didn't have time to respond. Charlie came back with a single, long stem red rose in a glass vase. He started laughing. "Uh oh, the boy screwed up, didn't he?"

Bella snatched the vase out of her father's hands. There was a card. She scooted backwards until she hit the stove then turned the other way around, so she could read the note in private.

"There, coffee's done. See you tonight. Bye, Dad."

"If the wolf's in the doghouse, you'd think he knows better than only sending one rose. That's not enough to make amends. What did he do?"

"Really, Dad? I'll tell you everything that went on here last night, if you promise to reveal exactly what has you in such a good mood this morning."

Charlie grabbed his travel mug and turned around. "Bye, Bells." She heard him open the door. "Another delivery, you come sign for this one. I'm late."

Bella thought he was joking, but another guy was standing there, with a half dozen roses. These were a pretty peach shade. She needed to read two notes now. Bella went back to the first one.

 _I screwed up. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, Bells._

She already told him to forget about it and she was probably more to blame than him. Bella smiled when she inhaled the aroma of the roses. They were pretty, even if she didn't deserve them. Why did he send two separate flower deliveries? Maybe it was a mix-up.

Bella opened the next card.

 _Listen to the wind, it talks._

 _Listen to the silence, it speaks._

 _Listen to your heart, it knows._

 _I can't take credit for that. It's a old proverb. I just wanted to remind you how close we've been and how much better everything was getting. I love my son, he's perfect and you're a great mother. I'm an idiot. I'm not going to stop until you forgive me._

The doorbell rang again. It was the full dozen white ones now.

 _You're beautiful, Bells and your soul is as pure and unblemished as these roses._

Atticus got fidgety and needed a change by then. Bella was so discombobulated. It was one little bump in the road to making up. He couldn't possibly keep sending more flower deliveries. This was overkill and it had to be costing him a fortune.

The next delivery guy knocked a good half hour later. He also informed her he was the first one from earlier, but they had specific instructions for spreading all the deliveries out. He even offered to bring in the arrangement because it was huge, all colors of roses, two full dozen.

The guy handed her another the card and a small gift bag that he shook. It rattled.

 _I forgot to say, I love you too!_

Bella screamed in a playful way to her son, "Oh my gosh, your father is crazy. He has to quit."

She grabbed her phone and called. "Enough Jacob. I get it. You're sorry. We had a dumb fight. I wasn't even mad thirty minutes later, but if you don't stop sending these delivery people to my door every fifteen minutes, I'm going to be pissed. I'm not getting anything done and Atticus might be taking a nap eventually."

"Okay, I won't send anymore, but do you like them? I never sent you roses before. I was too broke when we were kids."

"Yes, I love them, but you don't have to do this. I love wildflowers just as much. The single rose would've sufficed, but I really loved the proverb. That was my favorite. It's a beautiful sentiment."

"Oh yeah, I have a confession, I might have illegally picked those flowers that one time from the old lady across the street."

Bella giggled, she already knew. Mrs. Pratt came over that night and wanted to file a report with Charlie. She was furious. Her garden was her life.

"Um, yeah, Mrs. Pratt died, but whoever bought the place keeps up her flower garden."

"Oh, that's good to know. I might check it out for next time. Also, don't know if you checked out the bag, but I wouldn't recommend eating those. Willow found them under her bed and she couldn't remember if they were from Valentine's last year or when she was in first grade. I was only trying to create nostalgia."

Bella opened up the bag and saw the conversation hearts. The box was crushed and almost empty. She was pretty sure there was a dead ant at the bottom so there was never a chance she might eat them.

"Jake, I love everything, but I'm truly sorry. I started it."

"Damn, Ashley's yelling about an emergency. I've sorta been slacking all morning orchestrating all this apology business. I have to go work, but you're positive, we're really okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. I'll talk to you tonight. Barry wants to come down and take me shopping Friday. Can you still spare two wolves? I know Canyon is keeping the pack a little busier than normal." Bella was surprised the evening after they had the special family dinner, the newest wolf emerged. Jacob said they had it covered, he worked well with Sam and Embry and that if Collin wasn't joining Barry then Brady and Jared could go. She promised they wouldn't take up more than two hours of their time. They said their good byes again and Bella got busy figuring out where to put 43 long stemmed roses.

* * *

It was so great being back together with Barry. Bella didn't even know what she was looking for when she wanted to go shopping for a few new wardrobe pieces, but her bestie took charge and helped her make the best decisions with the money she had. Bella got one new pair of jeans, a skirt, 3 new blouses and a dress. Barry insisted on buying her some lingerie as well. He wouldn't take no for an answer and he also bought Atticus three new outfits because he was about to cross over into a bigger size. They had lunch at a small cafe. The baby was content to sleep in his stroller so that was nice, because he'd been a handful while shopping.

"So, time for a progress checkup. Tell me how you and your wolfman are and I'll tell you all about my sexy beast as well."

Bella shared how great the mornings, the gifts and the trips down memory lane had been. She even divulged the misunderstanding over getting carried away on the sofa.

He laughed at their obvious foolishness, "You know at this point, most ex's would just say 'fuck it.' We still love each other, let's start getting it on again."

"Aren't you the one that gave Jacob warnings about not pressuring me?"

"Yes, my dear, but I had no idea the lengths he'd go with foreplay. I didn't know there would be boxes of old pictures, Native American proverbs, special jewelry, drawings or scones. I was wrong to ever question his motives. He's in it for the long haul. You two are each other's _one._ Why not say you're back together? You want to be a real family with him, tell him."

"It's too soon."

"For who?"

"For all of us. Anyway, I told you everything, so dish, how are you and Collin? I was disappointed he didn't join us."

"Yeah, he's busy trying to train the manager to have more responsibilities. He knows he's needed on the reservation more or this new clinic is just a pipe dream. I might end up styling all that fine, blue hair in a small town after all. He's thinking about subletting the townhouse."

Bella told him he'd have way more clients than old women when the word got how amazing he was at hair. "My dad would totally let you cut his hair. His favorite barber just retired." She was getting excited about the possibility Barry might move to the reservation with Collin. She missed him.

"So is it official? You and him are a thing, more than friends."

"He's different."

Bella got her warning tone, "Barry." She knew how he could be. "Different's good and Collin's great."

"I know, trust me, I know, but he's a deep thinker and I'm used to super shallow. We're taking it slow, but he trusts me and I trust him. He's really opened up about the ex and I told him a few stories about my father. You know that's a big deal for me."

"Yeah. I do." Bella had a good feeling about them if they were actually talking about important issues and their pasts.

Barry said he wasn't ready to place his bets on which one of them declared _in a relationship_ first on Facebook. He admitted he still had his own room at Collin's which was okay. They were also taking things slow, but he added that didn't mean they weren't having fun. She and Jacob could use some of that in his opinion. Then they got into a insult battle on who was the bigger slut. Eventually Barry, confirmed Monica still held the title.

"All kidding aside, she's struggling, B. Her mom's a wackadoodle, but she's determined to hang out for her little grandmother. She doesn't have long according to the doctors."

Now Bella was extremely worried about their friend. Monica hadn't been keeping in touch nearly as much. Barry said he was prepared to invite her to come live with him. He'd even asked Collin. Bella decided to call her that evening and see what she could find out and maybe cheer her up. It would be nice to have the trio back together again.

Barry found Collin, maybe Monica could find a handsome, confident man and Bella had a brilliant idea. She knew one or two that might fit the bill.

Barry was suspicious at Bella's sudden silence, "What's going on in little, rapid fire brain of yours?"

"That's for me to know and you and Mon to find out. Thanks for today. I had fun, but I promised Jake we wouldn't be out all day."

Bella had barely seen Jacob since the couch make out turned blowup which evolved into the start of her own florist shop in her father's living room. He'd rush in, say hello, kiss Atticus and fly out the door, basically for several days in a row. He said he was super busy, but Saturday night she got an invite.

 **All day tomorrow, you, me our son... come over. We're having a bonfire later, but I'm working on the bike starting early.**

She was started to type _yes_ when he sent the last bit.

 **Don't forget the warm soda :)**

* * *

Bella opened the door to the garage and stepped back in time. The scent of dust and engine oil transported her along with the sight of a dismantled motorcycle, Jake with a wrench in his hand and upturned milk crate.

"Hey, Bells. I didn't expect you so early. Where's my boy?"

"Oh, Willow snagged him when I walked in the door. I'm surprised you didn't hear us."

Jacob turned down the loud music. That might have something to do with it and also she didn't drive a loudass old truck anymore. She was a little more stealth in the Jetta. Bella shook her small paper bag. "I brought four different kinds, not sure what you're in the mood for."

"Right now, I'm in the mood for your company." Jacob hopped off the ground in one lithe movement, wiped his hands and brought her in for a hug. He kissed her temple and told her to have a seat. He basically laid out the damage. Kaleigh was fierce. The body work had already been completed by the guy they used at Dowling's. Jacob needed to put it all back together with the new parts he'd ordered. He didn't plan on finishing it all today, but hopefully soon. He promised they'd take that ride he mentioned a long time ago.

She watched him work, but also checked her phone fairly often. Rachel said she'd SOS if the baby needed her. Bella made small talk, Jacob would get really quiet when he was focused but she didn't mind doing most of the talking. She brought up her shopping trip and he asked what all she got. She tried to ask why he'd been so busy in the evenings, but he kept changing the subject.

She decided to see what he thought of her idea for introducing Monica to Embry if she ended up coming to visit in the near future. Bella found out it could be less than two weeks according to Monica's grandmother's prognosis. Her friend said, she was bolting as soon as the funeral ended. Her mother was trying to guilt her into living there permanently as well as introducing her to some suitable men which only meant boring to Monica. She said she'd rather be homeless. Both Bella and Barry assured her, she wouldn't be homeless if she came to Washington.

"I was thinking Embry might mesh well with Mon. How do you think he'd feel about being set up?"

Jacob stopped working. "It's a no for Emb, honey."

"Why? Monica's great. You met her. I know she's a bit quirky, don't tell me you don't think one of my best friends isn't good enough for your brother."

"I didn't say that. I'm just saying... "

"What? What are you trying to say?"

"Embry is involved... okay, but no one's supposed to know. He says it's casual, but I'm beginning to doubt it." Jacob started up with the bike again.

Was he serious? He couldn't say Embry was involved and leave it at that. Bella wanted to know the rest of the story. Why wasn't anyone supposed to know? He was a grown man, he was single. Thank goodness he was over that little crush on Kaleigh. That was the reason she thought meeting someone would be good for him.

"Jake, aren't you going to explain yourself?"

"Nope. I swore to Emb I'd keep quiet."

Ugh. Did brother confidence trump her? Bella tried to give herself a title but there wasn't one. They weren't even dating officially. They shared Atticus, but baby Momma was out, she refused to call herself that when they were being serious. Fine, she was going to hit below the belt.

Bella stood up in a huff and acted like she was leaving.

"Where the hell are you off to? Did you get a text?"

"No, but if you aren't going to be straight with me, then I'm leaving. I'm your imprint, Jake. I thought you could trust me of all people. I only wanted to know what was going on with Embry because he's like my brother too. I'm concerned."

He blocked her exit and dragged her back to the middle of the garage. She was kicking and making a fuss. "Let me go! I don't want to hang out here with you anymore."

"You're such a liar, Bells. Imprint, huh? You don't toss that title around very often. In fact, you never bring it up. Admit it, you aren't actually super concerned, you're just like Rachel, super nosy."

"I am not, I don't gossip like the rest of them."

"Sure you don't, you've been spending a lot of time with the other mates. I have a hard time believing you're only a listener. Embry will come forward when he's ready, until then... it's a secret."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Maybe if you made better use of that tongue, I might drop a hint."

"Are you saying what I think your saying?"

He cocked one eyebrow up, "depends."

Bella tried to do a sexy catwalk around Jacob. She circled the garage. He was watching her, grinning like a fool and then laughing out loud when she tripped on an old can.

"You ruined it now, buddy. I was going to show you exactly what my tongue is capable of."

Jacob played a little game of chase with her around the garage. When he caught her, she knew she wasn't getting free. Jacob brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Are we really okay after the other night?"

"Yes, I told you a thousand times, I didn't mean it. Let's forget about it."

"Okay, but is it the physical stuff that sets us on the wrong course? Are we dialing it back again or is it okay if I kiss you when I feel like it?"

Bella wrapped her arms around Jacob's neck, she stood on her tiptoes. "I said slow all those weeks ago, not stagnant. I think kissing is fine."

He leaned over and closed the distance so they could share a few tender kisses. Bella knew how easily they could get carried away, so she stopped before it got out of hand. He puckered up and gave her one more kiss that made an audible smack. She was just about to sit back on the crate when he admitted the secret.

"It's Leah. Embry and Leah are hooking up. You're right, imprint beats brother."

Bella covered her mouth.

That was not what she expecting.

Jacob swore her to secrecy. He told her to be careful around Rachel, she was cunning about digging up secrets. "Why don't they want anyone to know?"

He said he wasn't sure, but he thought it had something to do with the fact, this isn't their first liaison. "I had no idea, but they were getting it on way back in the beginning, during Leah's whole _I hate the world_ phase. She thought Emb was a distraction and was tempted to throw it in Sam's face, but Embry was getting attached. They had a big fallout and when I stopped phasing and Leah realized she could do the same, she left to escape all of it. I think she broke his heart. For some reason now, they're both pretending no strings attached, but I think they're both full of shit. They aren't the same as they were when we were all pups. I think they'll figure it out on their own, but they don't need a bunch of unsolicited advice and opinions. When the time is right, they'll come out in the open."

Bella understood everything Jacob said and assured him he could count on her. "I won't betray your trust, but now we have a new problem."

"Oh no, not a new problem, Bells," he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

"It is to me, who can I introduce Monica to? I think Brady is too immature and that's what she usually goes for and it ends badly. No one else is single except Canyon and he's all of 16 so that's a big no."

"You're wrong. Quil's single."

"Ummmm, well... "

"Bells, you know Claire and Quil aren't like the rest of us. He's honestly going to want to settle down one day with someone and Claire will grow up and have her own life."

"I know, but they're almost too similar... Quil and Monica. I don't think it's a good idea."

Jacob brought up that one picture from the box. "Remember when Quil was sleeping in your lap and Embry took the picture?"

"Yes. I was going to ask when I recently came across that one. I forget how that came about."

He said one afternoon Quil got really sick and he begged Bella to take care of him. "He and Emb were hellbent on getting photographic evidence to show me later so I'd be jealous. I was highly annoyed, but Quil was legit sick for several days, so I couldn't kick his ass right away."

"Oh, yeah, poor guy, now I remember, he had a terrible case of food poisoning or something. He was miserable. He wouldn't tell me what he ate."

"He ate my science experiment."

"Why? That's crazy."

"Because, I lied and said you brought a new jello recipe. I didn't think the fool would fall for it, but I couldn't stop him once he started. He said 'damn, this is the worst thing Bella ever brought us.' I finally told him the truth and then the vomiting commenced." Crazy boys, Jacob could've poisoned poor Quil.

Bella was flooded with a ton of memories hanging out with those three: Jake, Quil and Embry. She should have appreciated them more at the time. She'd never take them for granted again. Jacob might have a point, Quil was a good man, crazy and unpredictable, but loyal and tender.

"Why are you so hellbent Monica be with one of the pack?"

"I don't know, it's just reassurance she'll be taken care of and always with me if she was to fall in love with a wolf like... "

"Like?"

"Like me, okay."

"Oh yeah, you're in love with me, aren't you? You never say it, so sometimes I forget."

Bella did her fake, exaggerated laugh.

"Are you going to let me work or not?"

She sat back down and changed the subject. Bella told Jake how Carlisle was conducting some research on Renee's condition for her, so that made her hopeful. She was still considering the blood test for herself which she dreaded, but knew Jacob really wanted her to do. She also got a warning text Atticus was getting sleepy.

"Your little Ace is starting to rub his eyes. I might need to take a break."

"You called him Ace. Why don't you admit it, my name fits him better." It was growing on her, everyone but Bella used it.

He told her to go back and check on him and then come back, he had something important to discuss with her. Bella agreed. Jacob walked her to the door and they even shared a parting kiss. Were they dating now? She should ask, but did it even matter? Bella and Jacob honestly didn't need a label, they were _something,_ that was for certain and she had hope in the future. It had been so long since Bella felt that way, she wasn't sure how to react to it.

 ** _~Thanks for reading._**

 ** _Any ideas, what important things he's going to tell Bella? I'm curious if you like this pace or you all want her to take Barry's advice?_**

 ** _Happy weekend to all my great readers!_**


	40. Chapter 40

_**Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 40: Our Time

Bella strolled back inside the garage less than hour later. Jacob smelled food.

"Care for a break?"

She spread out an old blanket and told him a picnic sounded nice. Jacob stepped outside to use the hose to clean up. He came back in the garage and admired the lovely image of Bella bent over making them a special picnic setting for their lunch.

"Those jeans are superb. I just noticed them."

"Finally. I was beginning to rethink my purchase." She fell onto her knees and patted a spot close to her. Jacob sat down next to her and gave her leg a squeeze. "Seriously, Bells you are one hot Momma."

She found that amusing, so she giggled, squinched up her face and tweaked his nose. Bella started revealing what all was in her bag. Jacob thoroughly enjoyed his break. Once the food was finished, he scooted even closer to Bells. If she'd given the okay for kissing, he was going to take full advantage of it whenever he could. He held her chin and lifted her face to him.

They shared another sweltering kiss. The heat between them elevated each time they came together. "I'm glad you're here. This place was never the same without you. Only now does it smell right to me. Not to ruin our romantic mood, but remember I needed to say a few things."

"Sure, I've been a little anxious to hear what you wanted to say."

"So, I noticed you haven't asked about Kay in a while."

"Oh, well, I figured it was a sore subject and you'd share when you were ready."

Jacob told her that nothing much had changed but Mack was not pressing charges. That issue was over and done with and he also admitted to Jacob that he was plenty concerned for Kaleigh. She was living at home and her mother was the driving force behind all the hardball tactics. Mack was encouraging her to get out from under Selene's thumb. He wasn't about doing favors for Jake but he thought Kaleigh needed to see a professional and he just about had her convinced. He only cared about her healing and moving on, "So there might be hope. Maybe she's going to take care of herself for a change and stop trying to pay me back for being a shit husband. I was. I admit that."

"Well, I was a shit wife to Edward. It's true, he tried and I quit early on. Maybe you and I aren't marriage material."

"Bite your tongue, Bells." He grabbed hold of her and and pulled her into his lap. "Better yet, let me do that for you." Jacob captured her mouth with his again, he was determined to kiss a retraction out her. He pulled away from her swollen lips and told her how he saw it. "That's only because we married the wrong people. I think you and I on the other hand would be the poster couple for marriage."

"Maybe. If you plan on asking, you'll have to ask permission for my hand. I hope you realize that."

"Damn, I'm not sure Charlie's my biggest fan just yet."

"Not Charlie, my son. I run all my biggest life decisions by him."

"Oh, is that all. Well then, I'm a shoe-in. I'm his second favorite person on earth."

It was time to get serious. He loved playing around with her, they had been far too serious for far too long. He mentioned marriage, but that wasn't much of a joke, especially now. "Bells, I was waiting to find out for sure but I've been trying for a freelance job. I just made my submissions last night before midnight. I feel pretty confident even though I haven't heard back yet. It might be a week to ten days before I get a definitive answer."

"Jake, that sounds amazing. What all does it entail?"

"I won't have to leave La Push, which is a must. Maybe eventually I might do some traveling but I plan to take you and Ace with me if I do." He told her the offer and about the possible sign-on bonus. "I'm buying a place if that happens. I want to make you and our son a home there. So we're moving slow, but I'm also way ahead in some respects regarding our future. I hope that's okay. I didn't like what you said about doing it alone. It struck a nerve."

"I hate that I said that. You know I'm sorry and I know you're sorry for your response."

"Yeah, I know. We're over it, but Ace deserves a real family. I want him to have me there, not only for pop-ins and dinners, so if this goes in my favor, would you be willing to try sooner than we planned?"

She nodded her head in affirmation. "Yes, I think it sounds like a good plan. Thank you for putting us first and for trusting me with your plans."

Jacob promised he had backup contingencies if he didn't get the contract. He wasn't giving up.

"Neither am I, Jake. I won't ever give up again."

He held up her hands with his clasped over them. "Whatever the outcome, good news or bad news, we handle it together."

* * *

Jacob dropped some logs on the ground. Bella was on her way out with Ace. Even though he was watching them ready to join in something that was everyday and ordinary to the pack, the occasion felt special and celebratory. She was home and she was never leaving.

"Look at you, Bells. What's this contraption you have my son bound in?"

She giggled. "You make it sound like I'm torturing him. It's a baby wrap and if you take a closer look, he's happy."

Jacob could see his son's point. He'd be pretty happy too if Bella tied him against her chest. Bella told him that she didn't want him to get chilled and that way she had her hands free in case they needed help putting together the food table. He took hold of one of those hands and walked her over to the spot he'd set up for them. He stopped her before she sat down to plant a very possessive kiss to her lips and then a sweet one on their son's cheek who promptly giggled and started wiggling around Bella's wrap thing.

"Jake, everyone is out here."

"Um, yeah, in case you didn't get the memo, they kinda all know we're into each other. Our secret's out."

She never could hide her blush, "Oh, let me think. Is it the infant in between us that clued them in?"

"Yeah, I think they suspected a decade ago when I chanted your name incessantly each time we were phased, but returning with my son was another red flag."

Bella said, in that case, she was going to be bold, so she puckered up and gave him one more kiss before plopping down at the picnic table. "Mom said she would watch him later inside if we stay out late." Bella said that worried her a little since her mother hadn't been feeling well. "I don't want to upset her, but she was really shaky the other night. Maybe she shouldn't carry him around, but then if I say that, it could backfire and make her slip even further into depression. I'm almost certain that's what's going on with her."

Jacob said even though Billy was in a wheelchair, he would keep a keen eye on both of them and maybe they could see if Charlie and Sue would hang around as well. He told her he understood if she wanted to cut their evening short. Truth was, Jacob had imagined them staying so late that Bella might be persuaded to stay the night. He kinda hated thinking about the day coming to an end.

The whole pack came out. It was like old times only better, because this time Jacob wasn't thinking the whole time about how he had to get Bells back to the treaty line soon or that obnoxious bloodsucker would start trouble. Kaleigh only came one time to one of their outdoor functions and Jacob remembered she complained and they left after an hour or so.

He watched Bella from the corner of his eye. She was in her element with the other mates. They'd welcomed her in their group without hesitation. He also watched her carrying on a conversation with Leah. She was true to her word and never acted like she might know something was up. Jacob bounced his son on his lap in front of the fire. He appeared captivated by the flames. He was getting more and more aware of his surroundings. It was good to get him outside and a part of the action.

"One day soon, you'll be chasing those bigger kids." That was crazy to think about but it was true, he was growing up quick, everyday he was changing and learning something new.

He felt her step in behind him. Jacob looked over his shoulder. "Done gossiping."

She slapped his back. "That's not what we were doing. You two look cozy, may I join you?"

Jacob extended his arm and pulled her into his side. She told him it was probably time to take Ace inside. "Don't look so down. I'm going to come back out. I promise." She said she was going to get him settled. They already had the pack-n-play from his afternoon nap in Embry's room so she could hopefully get him down.

* * *

With Bella inside, Jacob had time to check up on the kid. Canyon was still leary being around everyone at once. Jacob remembered those days, worrying about screwing up or losing it. He gave him a pep talk and he relaxed a little more. Jacob encouraged him to introduce himself to all the mates. He hadn't met everyone yet.

Bella was back before Jake knew it. "How's Ace?"

"He's good, he got his second wind so the grandparents are taking turns with him. I gave up on trying to get him to sleep right now."

"And Renee?"

"She's practically a different woman again. She claims every time she's with Atticus, she's better."

"Makes sense, he improves my mood every time I get a glimpse of those fat cheeks and that toothless grin. We can use this. Renee should stop being stubborn and start taking care of herself. She wants to be present in her grandson's life."

"Jake, I'm so happy right now. I know that sounds cheesy, but being out here, all of us together feels right."

"Cuz it is, baby." He stood up and pulled her off to a spot that wasn't so close to the congregation. "You look cold. Emily brought blankets. Wanna share one?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her. The others were starting up some stupid game led by Quil. He was trying to distract Claire, because he was upset she'd brought a guy with her. He was clueless. All the rest of them knew Claire and Zane were a thing. Jared and Kim tried to calm him down, it was innocent enough for now. They were still kids.

They climbed into one of the chairs Jared crafted in his spare time. He had all sorts of different ones he'd handmade. This one had plenty room for two. Jacob didn't need the blanket but he liked the idea of being inside the covers with her.

"This is almost too comfy. It's been a long day. Hope I don't fall asleep."

Jacob put his arm around her. "I'll carry you inside if you do or I might have some ways to keep you awake."

"I'm listening. What ways?"

Jacob surrounded her and Bella sunk deeper into the chair. "That's it, lie back on me and relax. It's been a very productive day." He started to rub her shoulders a little.

Bella said a little too loudly, "Oh, that feels soooo good, Jake."

Quil stopped giving his run down of rules and all heads turned their direction. They weren't _that_ far away. Bella quickly explained herself. "My shoulders. I carry lots of tension there because of the baby... all the lifting and holding. He's just giving me a rubdown. I mean... "

Quil raised his voice again, "Anyway, as I was saying, the first person to get five, takes the round. Try your best not to listen to Jake and Bella's rubbing or you'll get distracted."

Jacob tried to restart the back massage, but she twisted her shoulders and made him stop. "We can't, they're all watching us now."

"Didn't we establish earlier, they all know."

"I know that they know, but I don't want an audience."

"It's just a back rub."

She said sure that's all it was at first, but then what if he kept rubbing and then things happened, like she blurted out more sex noises or worse. They really needed some alone time. Jacob took his hands off her back and shoulders and wrapped them around her stomach instead. Bella started playing his fingers. "I have no idea what they're playing over there. Quil is still explaining and none of it makes sense."

Jake said he thought he was making it up, anything to keep Zane a safe distance from Claire. Bella stated the obvious, "He's too overprotective."

"I know, but he practically raised her. Can you imagine me when we have a girl? I'll be a young man's worst enemy."

Bella's hands stilled and he heard her heart quicken. Jacob pushed her hair out of his way. She'd been growing it back out and it was almost to her shoulder blades now. He kissed her on her neck, so close to the mark but he wasn't supposed to touch that until she gave permission. It was basically calling to him at the moment so he was testing the limits. He moved his lips to the shell of her ear. "You know Ace deserves to have some siblings, right. We're going to have more kids, Bells... lots more."

She stuttered, "l-lots?"

Jacob practically growled in her ear. "Turn around, honey. I want to kiss you."

"But... "

He hoisted her up over his legs so she was sideways in his lap. Her hip pushed into his erection and she sucked in a breath. He chuckled. "All the time when I'm around you, now about kissing."

Bella wrapped her hands around his neck and they let all else fade into the background. He knew she was right, that the others would see or sense they were getting hot and heavy over there, but Jacob had endured equal displays over the years. It just so happened he and Bells were the new couple that couldn't contain themselves.

Bella got all goofy when she'd been thoroughly kissed. "Jake, are you my boyfriend?"

"Gee, Bells I guess so. I was trying to gather the courage to ask you to go steady. You're pretty progressive asking first."

She swatted at him and he laughed harder at her. He grabbed her hand, but she flipped the table on him by bringing his fingers closer to her mouth. She started kissing his knuckles and then straightened out one finger that she took into her mouth. The sensation went straight to his cock.

"Fuck, baby." Bella kept sucking his digit while her other hand journeyed down to his crotch. She started stroking him through his jeans. Now he was making hushed sex noises. "Stay with me, tonight. Embry's taking off with Leah. You brought changes of clothes for you and Ace. Don't go. I need you close to me."

She paused all the things that were about to drive him mad with lust. "But I'm Mom's ride. I need to take her back into town."

"Give her your keys, Bells, or we have half a dozen other people that could take her. I mean it. I want you with me, even if it's only to cuddle."

"Jake, you and I both know we're doing more than cuddling right now and if we go to bed together, I don't know if I can show restraint."

"So... "

Bella lovingly trailed the back of her hand down his cheek. "I think you're right. I'll stay, but I should go inside and make sure our little monkey really gets to sleep this time. An interruption again would pretty much suck."

Jacob kissed her cheek. Yeah, it most definitely would because he thought she just gave him the okay and even though he planned on waiting a little bit longer before making his move, tonight might just be their night.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **I would greatly appreciate some song inspirations, mostly lovey ones, not exactly raunchy, lol.**_

 _ **What do you think happens next? Guess what? I often have a few surprises up my sleeves. I would not be upset to go over 900 reviews with this update. ;)**_


	41. Chapter 41

_**~A/N Most of the time when I ask for song recs, no one really pays much attention. LOL! I was completely overwhelmed at the responses. I, honestly poured through them. I listened to every individual selection, no joke. I came to the conclusion, this is a matter of personal choice. If you like to listen to music for a chapter vibe, then by all means, pick what works for you. I can write many chapters without music, but when it comes to the loving ones, I absolutely have to play songs or it won't get done. I have some new song ideas tucked away for future reference now so I truly appreciate that. I made a promise to myself, no updates until I had three completed chapters done, so goal met. Here's the next one with several to follow soon.**_

 _ **I'm the only one that knew how this chapter would play out so here are my top 3 inspirations:**_

 _ **"Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars, thanks TiffaniW**_

 _ **"I'll Follow You" by Shinedown, thanks HappilyInLove23**_

 _ **"Amazed" by Lonestar, my first choice even though I rarely listen to Country. The song rings true!**_

Chapter 41: On the Brink of Ecstasy

Jacob helped with the clean up outside and then inside. He talked with the parents for a bit. He expected Charlie might be going off with Sue, but she had an early shift the next morning so he volunteered to take Renee home. Jacob carefully studied Bella's mother. She was all smiles and giggles, not like she was feeling ill at all. She told him a few stories about Ace and how she predicted he would be crawling on his own within the month. He guessed Bells was right, their child had a positive affect on everyone. He asked where Bella was and Rachel said she was trying to get their little night owl to bed and then she mentioned getting a shower since she smelled like a campfire. In his dirty mind, he mentally pictured her cleaning up for him. The green light just got brighter as far as he was concerned. Jacob was tempted to pop in the room to tell Ace goodnight, but he'd spent the majority of the day with him and he really wanted him to fall asleep and stay asleep so he decided against it.

He should go double check on the patrol instead. Since, Collin was in town, he gave him a shift alongside the pup. They needed to spend some time together. Jacob liked to switch up the pairings frequently. Everyone needed the experience of working together to learn all the nuisances of each individual wolf. That didn't take more than half an hour, so he headed back home. Surely, Bells had Ace asleep by then. Jacob passed Rachel in the hall. The house was dim and quiet. She said the kids were crashed, Paul helped settle Dad for the night and Embry was conveniently missing again. He told her he was going for a shower and he'd see her in the morning.

"She's home for good now, isn't she?"

Jacob hoped that was a true statement, but wasn't entirely convinced. He really needed more space for them, even if Embry was going to be gone most nights, they couldn't all three live in that tiny room. If Jake got the contract, then he might be able to acquire the land and houses but that was a few weeks away at best, not to mention the cleanup that needed to occur for the cabin to be habitable for his family. The main house might take at least a year if no setbacks occurred. Who knew, if they were back together officially, Charlie would probably cave to make his daughter happy and let him move in over there for the time being.

Jake told Rach they'd have to wait and see about Bells, but he had a good feeling. He looked at the clock and worried he might have wasted too much time now. With his rotten luck, she'd also be asleep with Ace and his night of _maybe_ would turn into _not tonight, honey, I'm tired._ Jacob really meant the cuddling remark. At least, he'd be next her again without any guilt. His relationship was dead and buried with Kaleigh as far as they were both concerned. They'd spent some time talking about it in the garage. The legal ramblings were just technicalities.

* * *

He slowly opened the bedroom, not sure what he'd find, but Bella was sitting up with the light of her cell phone illuminating her face.

"Finally, I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

Oh, he was going to show her plenty. Jake tiptoed to the portable crib happy to hear the smooth even breathing of their son. He was in deep sleep. His hand hovered over him, but he didn't dare touch him. Bella added he was exhausted. Ace had a full day with only half a nap.

"Whatcha wearing there, honey?"

"Oh, Rachel gave me this out of the laundry. It's yours."

"I know it's mine. Now it seems to be ours."

Jacob made his way to the bed. They were speaking in hushed tones. It would take some getting used to, staying quiet because there was a kid in the room. He really needed to acquire their own place with more than one room.

Bella was still talking about the shirt. "It's soft and smells like you even though it's clean."

He had a seat at the edge of the bed, reached for her and rubbed his hand down her arm, "You're softer and you smell nicer too."

She switched off the phone and put it behind her head on Emb's shelf next to the bed. Now they were in the dark, but Jacob could see, feel and hear all he needed. Her scent filled the room and his brush with her skin proved all his senses were honed in on her and only her. Bella started scooting herself lower under the covers, so he got in and did the same. His hands went straight to her body. He wasn't going to let her go all night if it was possible.

"Are you tired?" She also had a long day.

"Don't you know better than asking a mom with an infant that question? I'm always tired."

"Oh... " Now, Jake was reconsidering his next move. Reluctantly, he let go with one hand because he didn't want to seem too pushy. Bella didn't wait long before she turned herself over a little more towards him. He was completely surprised when she pushed him firmly, one hand on each shoulder and climbed over him. She straddled his legs and there was no more hiding how painfully hard he was for her. He took care of that earlier in the shower just to slow himself down. Once she was confident, she had his attention and he wasn't going to move, she lifted up so he could see her clearly.

"Bells... " Jacob swallowed down the rest of his sentence, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. He moved his hands slowly up her bare thighs.

Bella crossed her hands at her wrists and grabbed the bottom of the t-shirt. She lifted it off her body in one fluid motion. "I'm ready for that cuddling you spoke of."

Her fuller breasts were basically staring him in the face. Jacob honestly never expected the night to go this way when he first invited her to spend the day, but he wasn't going to question the direction they'd journeyed into. She adjusted her body to line herself in the exact spot he needed her. Bella reached for his hands, they threaded their fingers together. She lifted the left one and then the right one to her lips for tender kisses. She then placed each hand over her breasts. He did what he knew would drive her crazy with desire.

Bella's head fell back and her hips moved, until she pushed herself as close as she could be with a barrier of clothing between them. Jacob should have pulled off those shorts before climbing into bed with her, but he'd just had a five minute debate in the bathroom: towel, shorts, underwear, or no underwear. He went with shorts, no underwear. His hands were too busy right now to pull off anything, but she could start the process whenever she felt like it.

Bella grasped his hands. She stilled him for a few seconds. "Don't squeeze too hard or I'll spray milk."

Not at all the sexy talk he was expecting. It took less than three seconds before they both started laughing... so much for super racy pillow talk. She swatted at Jake's chest and collapsed against him.

"Stop laughing, dork. I was trying to be a temptress."

He felt dampness between them. "Too late, you already did."

She mumbled into his neck, "Sorry, this is new to me."

"What? Foreplay?"

"No, silly, being aroused while I'm a nursing momma."

He told her not to be embarrassed. "I love how you take care of my son. So what, it's natural, I swear it's not a mood killer, you were plenty tempting... and still are."

It was probably for the best they take a small break anyway before they truly got carried away. He wanted to ask how far she wanted to take this? She pulled off the shirt but left her panties. That might have been a sign, but maybe he was the one over-thinking for a change. He tried to be respectful. "We can do whatever you want, Bells. We have all the time in the world. I can say that now with certainty."

"I thought it was too soon."

He shook his head up and down. That was fine if that's what she thought. He swore no pressure no matter how bad he ached for her again.

"I understand. I would have to buy Embry a new mattress if we did anyway."

Bella pointed Jacob's face towards hers. Their mouths were almost touching. She pushed forward that extra bit so their conversation was paused. Jacob kissed her slow and languid. He massaged her lips with his, coaxed her mouth open with the tip of his tongue. As soon, as he was tasting her completely, her leg swung back over his hip and he pulled her closer, harder into him. Now Bells was rocking those cotton panties against his thigh. He rubbed the thin fabric between his fingers. He teased her at the elastic despite knowing he needed to show restraint.

Bella pulled her lips away just enough to say something against his mouth, "But it's not, this is us and I want you tonight, Jake."

That was all he wanted to hear. His whole hand slipped under that elastic. She helped wiggle out of them before going straight for his waistband. Bella seemed just as anxious as Jake to pull down his shorts. This was really happening. Jacob had probably relived that night in the hotel room thousands of times, all the good parts before he turned into an asshole and pushed her away. He knew that would never happen again. He would always be going back for more. He'd never deny her again. The second they were both completely stripped, the hotel memory jogged one important realization from his sex-starved brain.

He flipped Bella on her back, but Jacob lifted up. He didn't want to move from that bed or that particular position with his naked mate underneath him, but they were getting carried away, same as before. His head turned to the crib but she grabbed his shoulders and tugged him closer.

"Wait, Bells, I need to raid Embry's stash. I hope he hasn't changed his hiding spot." The last thing he wanted to do was spend any time away from her to search for condoms. He should have thought of this a long time before now.

Bella ran her foot up his leg. Damn that was sexy. She grabbed his face. "Don't. We don't need one. My cycles are suppressed because of breastfeeding and I want to feel you with nothing between us."

The horny wolf was pleased. Jacob felt his presence. "You sure, cuz I don't mind being cautious." He was already buying Embry a new bed most likely, he could spring for a box of rubbers.

Bella latched onto his neck and sucked the skin between her teeth and that condom idea quickly evaporated. He could easily go for fully sheathing himself in her body without hesitation. The couple wound themselves around and against each other. He was worried about it ending too soon. This was almost a year and a half in the making. He might have calmed the beast in the shower but he needed to slow it down now. However, the more they kissed, the harder it literally was becoming.

He started the descent down her body. Bella's back arched under his hand while he made a trail of slow open mouthed kisses across her neck. Once he did several passes on one side, he went to the other. He was determined to give every spot equal treatment. That's why when he got to her boobs, he spent some time with each one of them. A few times, he felt her tense up, "Relax, Bells. These are gift." She was still worried about that milk thing and it was the least of his concerns. Pleasing her, fulfilling all their pent up desires were at the forefront of his mind. She pushed up on her arms and he pulled her all the way up. They explored all the things he knew turned her on. Jacob found her sensitive nub in between them.

"Jake... " she grabbed over his hand, "wait."

"You want to stop?"

She slowly shook her head side to side. She was on her knees sitting back on her heels and he was sitting right there with her in between his legs.

Her head dipped towards the bed and he saw she was chewing her lip. "What is it, honey? Tell me what you want."

She halfway giggled. "I wanna do it together." Her hand reached forward, she gave his cock a few quick strokes. Jacob smirked. Now, he got it. They got in the best position for touching each other. He pushed two fingers into her while keeping pressure on her clit. Bella's delicate fingers slid up and down his shaft. He was clearly ready to bury himself in her warmth, but this manually getting each other off was pretty damn hot. Once it got serious, he was having trouble concentrating, worrying that he was too caught up in the way she was making him feel to give her all the attention she deserved.

Jacob stopped her ministrations. "Is it not right?"

"No, too right. I only want to come inside you. Lie back, Bells. You first and then I'm going to fuck you so hard the second you start coming on my fingers."

"Jeez, your dirty talk makes me crazy, Jake." He felt her squeeze her internal muscle around his fingers as more wetness slipped out of her. Fuck, she smelled good. He could taste it in the air practically. Might as well taste her from the source. Jacob lowered his face between her thighs where his fingers remained and he proceeded to bring her release quicker than he'd anticipated.

She pulled the pillow over her face so her noises couldn't be heard. The baby hadn't stirred, but he wouldn't doubt if that perv, Lahote didn't hear something. Jacob had to endure the fact earlier when they first got started that Rach and Paul were also feeling amorous tonight. He learned how to tune out such things, but only seconds ago he heard Paul's heavy steps in the hall on the way to the bathroom. He knew he promised her, but Jacob wanted to coax one more orgasm out of her before he joined with her. His cock throbbed against her leg. Jacob needed Bella more than he needed air to breathe.

She was slowing coming off her high, "Please, Jake, you said... "

He sped up his movements and latched his mouth back onto her clit once more. She rattled off a couple of words that made no sense, something about 'enough,' but she lifted higher and let him own her body like only he could. Another orgasm was building deep within her, he sensed it. This was it, he wasn't waiting this time. Bella started to spasm and in a millisecond he was hovering over her again, this time sliding inside her heat just as he'd promised. Bella was still contracting her walls against him. He needed to hold still a minute and let her catch a breath, as well as calm himself down. He was afraid if they moved, he'd come on the spot.

She was sweaty and panting, he moved her hair out of her face, "I love you, Jake."

Jacob kissed her mouth eagerly, "Love you too, Bells... so much."

She squeezed his dick from the inside and rotated her hips. This was what they'd waited for, giving themselves completely with no looking back. It took too damn long to admit it, but they were there now. She was his forever. She always had been. Bella dug her heels into his ass, scraped her nails across his back and Jacob eagerly started pumping his hips against hers. She was responding with equal enthusiasm and that was where they were, focused on loving each other with their hearts, bodies and souls. He was on the brink of fulfilling all his dreams those few minutes, until out of nowhere, the most shrill, blood curdling howl cut through the stillness of the night and completely annihilated their passion. It was painful on so many levels.

"No fucking way," he groaned.

A second, equally as alarming but different distress howl rang out. They knew they'd pay with little to no mercy for disturbing his time with his mate if it wasn't a legit emergency.

Bella's legs went limp and her arms released him. He slipped out and away from her precious body. It was maybe, the most penitent decision he ever made, but he had no choice. "Collin and Canyon," she stated matter of fact.

How the fuck did she know that? It was, but they were far off, no way did her human ears hear such a thing. Maybe she heard earlier who was on patrol.

"I have to go. You actually heard that?" he said disbelieving.

"No, I felt them. Something's wrong."

She was spot on. Everything was so right for a few minutes and now it wasn't. Jake kissed her hard but brief. "Don't worry. I'll handle it and be back before you can miss me. I love you, everyone stay put until I figure what's happening."

He opened the window, he heard Paul open the front door at the same time. Before he jumped out the window, he heard two more howls, the unexpected distressed cries of his son from his bed, and a high pitched scream from Sage's room. Jacob phased before his feet hit the dirt. His pack was in serious trouble, even the male pups sensed it, years before they would ever phase.

He was making love to his imprint, the love of his life but now the jumbled thoughts coming at him elicited fear like he'd never experienced. Jacob felt invincible most days, but for the first time ever, he worried he might never see his family again and he might have just told her another lie. There was something evil in their midst, Jacob saw glimpses of what was facing them and there was no way he was coming right back.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **You all know I'm terrible, so you shouldn't be surprised. They got a little bit of action, but the disruption was necessary, the muse insisted. Don't get too worried about Jake's blue balls. I'm quite certain no man has ever died from it. Story disclosure: tonyamic10 is not responsible for any broken laptops, tablets or cellular devices. You need to control your tempers if you tend to toss things.**_

 _ **Evil? What sort? I love your predictions, comments and all that jazz. Thanks so much for the 900 reviews, 1,000 is my next goal!**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**~Kinda in my element with these next two chapters. I had such fun writing them. I hope you enjoy reading. Thanks so much for the support. It truly makes my day when someone says this their current fave fic!**_

 _ **Not sure how familiar you are with official Twilight soundtracks, but there's a scene in BD2 when Bella assumes she won't survive the Volturi because of clues left behind by Alice. The song is "Everything and Nothing" by The Boom Circuits. I also listened to "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran. Both songs have eerie beats and great lyrics that fit.**_

"And if the night is burning  
I will cover my eyes  
For if the dark returns  
Then my brothers will die  
And as the sky is falling down  
It crashed into this lonely town  
And with that shadow upon the ground  
I hear my people screaming out"

 **Chapter 42: Everything and Nothing**

Bella quickly dressed back in Jake's shirt and a pair of sleep pants. It wasn't the easiest task considering how shaky she was. Atticus screamed behind her louder and louder which rattled her even worse. She and Jacob were so close, so connected with each other again, it felt like a dream. Then it was over, like a hellish nightmare. All she could imagine now were all the potential problems the pack was facing. This was not a drill, something was dreadfully wrong.

Bella picked up their son and cradled him against her chest. "It's okay, my baby. Mommy's here."

He cried even louder, she'd never seen him so upset even when he was ill with fever. She attempted to bring him to the breast, but he was inconsolable and refused. Bella held him up to her so he was looking directly in her eyes. She kept repeating he was fine. "I've got you, Ace. Mommy's here and Daddy will be back. He's protecting us." She murmured phrases like that repeatedly. Finally, his bawling turned into sniffling, the kind that sounded like stuttering intakes of breath with almost silent exhales. She could hear the house phone ringing despite the hour. Sage sounded like he was in absolute misery and Rachel was loudly crying out in despair. Atticus was drifting off again, but Bella didn't want to put him down, she needed him next to her so she grabbed the wrap, sat on the bed and secured him in the hold he liked best for sleeping.

Atticus briefly whimpered again when she stood up but at the sound of her voice, he drifted off to sleep again. She had to go help Rachel. Once she entered Sage's room, she saw that he appeared asleep because his eyes were shut tight, but everything else going on with him didn't resemble rest in the least. He was having the worst sort of night terror she'd ever witnessed. Nothing his mother was doing seemed to pull him out of it. Billy wheeled in. He was still strong enough to get himself up and down from the bed and no doubt he heard all the commotion.

"Is he hot?"

"No, Dad. His skin feels clammy. I don't understand. Willow had nightmares, but they were never this bad." Bella sat next to them on the bed. Willow had joined in as well out of concern for her brother.

"I don't think that's a dream that child is experiencing." Billy looked at Bella knowingly. He was frustrated about the shrill ringing coming from the kitchen, "Someone needs to answer the damn phone." Rachel said hers was going off also, but she couldn't think straight to check it. Billy grumbled and backed out, saying something about it could be important news.

Bella felt like she was an invisible observer for several seconds, but then an unfamiliar instinct overcame her and she thought carefully about what had just occurred with their son. "Rachel, move. Let me try."

Rachel looked up through red-rimmed, watery eyes with a mixture of confusion and doubt. As a mother, Bella knew Rachel thought she was the only one that could aide her young son, but Bella had to try. The technique with Atticus worked quickly and she knew now, it was for other reasons, not only because she was his mother.

Jacob's sister hesitated briefly before she nodded and moved. She also told Willow to get off the bed. The young boy was caught between two realms. He appeared to be suffering some type of mental and physical torture even though nothing was near him.

"Sage. It's Bella. Sage, wake up! You're fine. Your mother is here. Willow's here. We need you to relax. You're safe. Listen to my voice. We're all safe." The screaming stopped first. His strange movements slowed. Bella put her hand on his shoulder. She noted the complete shift in his breathing pattern as he seemed to return to a normal state of sleep. Rachel called his name again and they noticed his eyelids start to twitch. Billy came back looking fairly alarmed considering his grandson was coming around. "That's it, sweetie." Bella stroked dark strands of sweaty hair that were clinging to his forehead. "Open your eyes. Your father and your uncles are taking care of everything, there's no reason for you to be worried."

"Mom," was the first thing out of his mouth in a groggy haze.

Bella switched spots with Rachel on the bed. Her own son had slept through the entire ordeal. Bella moved out of the room with Billy.

"What is it?"

"Emily's girl, the oldest, Lizzie was on the phone. She called crying. Her father left and as she put it, Ryder is freaking out and her mother can't calm him down." Jacob told Bella to stay put and she never planned to ignore his advice but she needed to help that child.

"What did you tell Elizabeth?"

"I said someone would be there to help soon or they could always come here."

"I have to go."

Bella was going to attempt to take Atticus out of the baby wrap and either let Billy hold him or return him to the crib. A clap of thunder and a streak of lightning interrupted their conversation only making the night seem even more ominous.

Billy grabbed her by the wrist. "No, I can't let you do that."

"Billy, please. I can go to Ryder easier than Emily can get out with three children in a storm, especially when one of them is acting the way you just witnessed Sage. I'm the only one that can calm him. You saw and you know why."

"I know you're trying to take responsibility for the children and the mates because the men are all gone, but that's the problem, they are _all_ gone. You know as well as I do that never happens. Someone always stays behind for protection."

She already knew it was bad, but Bella had no choice. Emily needed help. She carefully unwound her son. He whimpered slightly. Bella kissed his forehead. "It's okay, baby. Stay with Grandpa. Mommy will be right back."

Atticus drifted back to sleep in the crook of Billy's arm. He begged her again. "Let me call Charlie instead."

"There's no time. I'm not going to let Ryder suffer endlessly. Something awoke the spirit of the wolf in these boys. They felt the distress signal, just like their fathers but are too young to sort it out in their minds and bodies. I'm the alpha's mate, I have the ability to order them to stop. I won't let any member of this pack down."

Bella grabbed her keys off a hook by the door. She wasn't bothering with a jacket or anything to protect her from the elements. The weather took a turn for the worse. The thunderous warnings had turned into a full-fledged downpour.

Billy was still begging for her to change her mind when she shut the door. Lightning lit up the sky and she jumped at the thunder, picturing that each booming noise masqueraded as some sort of monster, ready to jump out and claim her. This wasn't an act of bravery by any means, she'd never been more terrified.

Bella took a deep breath and whispered in her thoughts, _forgive me, Jake, for not listening._

Her bare feet slipped as soon as they hit the mud, but Bella miraculously stayed upright. She hit the button to unlock her car door. She was inside the Jetta in a heartbeat, already drenched from the short run from the house. She pretended the car offered some type of protection, but in the back of her mind, knew it was only a false sense of security.

She vigorously shook her hands at her sides to stop them from trembling. Bella took one more cleansing breath, Ryder was her sole focus. She was worried if he spent too long in that state, it very well could awaken the wolf fully and none of those boys were ready to deal with such things at such a young age.

The engine was running even though she couldn't remember turning the key. Just as her hand went to the gear shift, the car door swung open and water pelted her from all directions. Bella instinctively screamed, "NOOOOO!"

The would-be captor grasped her firmly on the arm and she was ready to fight her damnedest even if it was sure to be in vain.

"Bella, STOP! It's me, Rachel."

Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it was near exploding. It was only Rachel, she must be carrying her father's sense of forewarning a step further.

"I have to go, Rachel, I'll help him just like I did with Sage."

Rachel wouldn't let go and it wasn't like Bella was going to run her over.

"Please, step away from the car!"

Jacob's sister jerked her harder and Bella relented. She stepped out of the car in the pouring rain with Rachel. She practically shrieked every word in her face. "Jared came back to Kim! He's bringing everyone here and he said Jake gave explicit instructions that all of us were to remain together until it was over!"

Bella repeated it so she was sure she heard right, "Jared's bringing them?"

Rachel grabbed her and held her tight against her. They were both sobbing because neither of them knew exactly what was happening, only that it was extremely dangerous. Lightning hit so close to home, a large limb sparked in flames and fell across the driveway behind them. That was all they needed to see to make them realize they were sitting ducks with regards to the storm or worse. They turned and ran their asses back inside. Both women came back in soaked to the skin. Willow rushed with towels to help dry them off and prevent water from dripping everywhere. Billy's head drooped forward with heavy relief. Atticus was still sound asleep in his arms.

"Thank the spirits you stayed."

They filled her in. Jared went back for Kim and Lorelei, then he was heading to Emily's. Sue and Amy were meeting them and following. Bella immediately thought of Barry who was on the reservation. He and Collin were staying at Collin's grandmother's old cabin. She needed to call Charlie too for a head's up, but she was going to tell him to stay put. No one should be out in this treacherous weather.

Bella pulled out her phone but couldn't get any messages to send. She went to Billy's house phone next and the line was dead even though only minutes before it was working fine.

"I'm worried, Barry doesn't know what these emergencies are like."

"Honey, none of us do. We've never had one this huge. Hopefully, he'll stay put. I'm sure he'll be fine. We should both change before everyone gets here."

* * *

Bella came back to the living in fresh clothes. Rachel was bringing out sheets, blankets, pillows and quilts. She thought Sue could take Embry's room. Bella didn't let her mind dwell how less than an hour ago, that was where she and Jacob were finding themselves again. It was their moment and now everything seemed blown to bits.

Rachel was going to put all the girls in Willow's room and the two boys would be fine on Sage's bunk bed. She was going to make pallets for the rest of them out on the living room floor, not that any of them could probably find sleep until they knew something but they should attempt to rest. Sue and Seth's fiancée ran through the door about that time under the same umbrella. Bella was anxious to see what state Ryder was in. Emily was next, huddled around her two girls, followed by Kim, Lorelei and Claire. Jared was the last inside carrying a barely conscious Ryder. Bella felt his skin, wet from the storm but scorching hot. Dammit. He was the oldest of all the pack children but still not old enough and she was right, the longer wait had done him more harm.

Bella needed to be stronger, firmer with her command. Jared took him to the bedroom but he only let Bella and Emily inside. She thought about what Jacob might say to this boy and said those words. She was forceful with her command that he needed to calm down, "Don't you dare phase, Ryder! You don't have to do this. Your father, Uncle Jake and the pack are all taking care of us. Do you hear me? Your mother and sisters are here too and we're all safe from harm." A few minutes ticked by, Bella had to repeat her speech a few times.

Jared took a step back. "It's working."

"Are you sure?" Emily stroked her son's cheek. "I think you might be right, he's cooler and he's not shaking near as bad."

Jared said he had to go back out. "I'm staying nearby unless they need me. No one, I mean no one steps outside that door. Jacob said I needed to drive that point across." He kissed his daughter and his wife. When he opened the door, Barry was standing there with his hand up like he was about to knock. Jared stepped past him and Bella pulled her friend inside. She yelled for more towels. "Bar, you crazy man. I can't believe you made it out in this weather alone when you barely know your way around the reservation."

"I had to make sure you were okay." He looked around the room and said he was relieved they were all together. "So this is pack life?"

His question lightened the very somber mood of the bunch. Rachel thrust a coffee mug in between his fingers. "Not exactly the norm, but yeah, the pack sticks together no matter what."

Bella wasn't satisfied, Jared didn't tell them a damn thing. She only thought she was slipping out unnoticed while they were all distracted. Barry caught her, "Stop right there, Little Bit. Just where in the hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm only going as far as the porch. I need to speak to Jared."

None of them looked pleased with her decision but she had to make contact. Barry said three minutes, no more or he was coming out to physically drag her back inside.

Bella screamed into the night for Jared to come back. At first, she thought he was gone again, but when she got more direct, she suspected he had no choice but to obey her command. He appeared at the steps, bare chested, and drenched in only a pair of cut-offs.

"Bella, I said to stay inside."

"I need some answers. Why are these boys in so much distress? Where is the pack? Is it Aro?"

"I can't answer any of those questions because I don't know for certain."

He tried to turn around, but told her to get back inside and lock the doors.

"You know as well as I that won't keep them out, if they're here for me."

"No one's here for you, Bella. We're making sure of that. Please, I need to be back in wolf form. Your order isn't stronger than Jake's."

"Fine, I'll let you do your duty, but please tell me something. What are you up against?"

Jared said he wasn't sure, but even though she stopped the boys, other kids weren't so lucky. "Remember we were watching two more at the school?"

"Yes."

"Okay, they phased as well as one we weren't expecting."

"Who?"

"Zane, right in front of me. He was spending the night after the bonfire. Jeez, he's Kim's nephew. I didn't know he was in the bloodline. Somehow, I guess no young male on the res is excluded." He advised Bella how difficult it was with a new wolf and they had that times three currently, so with the leeches launching a surprise attack, it was a huge clusterfuck."

"How many?"

"That's one of those questions I don't know for sure."

"Ballpark figure."

"More than ten but less than twenty when I left, but they keep appearing out of nowhere. Now, that's all I've got, go inside and let me do my job."

* * *

Bella went back inside. The kids had all settled down but Emily was staying next to Ryder a little while longer as he continued to improve. Sage was already back to his normal self and climbed on the top bunk to go back to sleep. Bella peeked in on the girls as well. Rachel made a place for Atticus to sleep on the floor next to Bella's pillow. Billy and Sue had gone to their rooms and all the mates and imprints were settling down in various spots on the floor. Barry was on the couch. Kim held Claire close as she silently cried. She must be worried sick over Quil and Zane and she was just a child herself, so much turmoil to experience in one night.

Bella knew she wouldn't be able to sleep but pacing around wouldn't do the rest of them any good. She was going to lie down with all of them but first she had to try the phone one more time. She pretended to use the bathroom. She restarted her cell and was ecstatic to see one bar. She attempted the call. She wasn't sure if it rang or anyone answered.

She blurted out, "I need your help."

"What is it? You sound upset."

"I'm extremely upset. The pack's been ambushed!"

"Hold on," Bella heard other voices and some sort of crash in the background.

"Edward, are you there? Do you hear me? Please, can you all go to them! Don't worry about the treaty, go any place you need to." She wasn't sure she had that authority, but she was exercising full power tonight.

"Alice saw something. I think we know where they are. Don't worry, we're heading out the door."

"Wait, Edward. Is it Aro?"

"Not personally, but Alice says he's ready to see what he's up against. This is a test. Be safe and stay put. We won't let you or your pack down."

The phone went silent. It was the first time in many years that knowing Edward gave her some type of comfort. Bella rested her face in her hands and wept. Aro always liked playing games, but he played to win and even if it was just a test, she knew full well, everyone's lives were at stake. Jacob would be leading the ranks, he was the one that stood up to Aro, and posed the biggest threat. That made him enemy number one to these vampires.

Bella needed to get back to the living room with the group. She switched off the bathroom light with a prayer on her lips, _Jacob, please come back to me._

 ** _~Thanks for reading._**

 ** _Drama, drama, drama, who wants more drama?_**

 ** _What are your thoughts on Bella's full ascension into power? Was she kicking ass or acting carelessly?_**


	43. Chapter 43

_**~Thanks so much my dear readers. I have been writing the days away basically, but remembered I wasn't posting. Thought you might appreciate a long chapter. Lots going on. Sometimes, I hold my fingers over the keyboard and sprinkle hints. I love good guesses if you have any about some of the backstories.**_

 _ **"Stay" by Rihanna was my musical inspiration for this chapter.**_

 ** _Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer._**

 _"Funny you're the broken one but I'm the only one who needed saving_  
 _'Cause when you never see the light it's hard to know which one of us is caving."_

Chapter 43: Silence is Deafening

Bella woke up to a stillness she wasn't expecting. Her son was nuzzled against her left side. She remembered he'd squirmed in his sleeping spot sometime in the night, so she pulled him next to her since it seemed everyone was finally sleeping. He briefly nursed then went back to sleep. Rachel had her arm linked with Bella's on the other side. They'd whispered and cried to each other for what seemed like hours before surrendering to some type of restless sleep. Faint circles of light shone through the blinds and sheers that covered the front windows. She knew the sun wasn't high in the sky, that the trees were blocking most of the light or else the room would be filled with daylight. It was the break of dawn and inside the house, all were safe.

She couldn't stand the silence. Last night had been filled with the sounds of a violent storm, crying mothers and children in anguish, now there was nothing but the sound of her own breathing. Bella carefully released Rachel and pulled herself off the floor. Atticus missed the warmth of her body and lifted his head. She grabbed her phone from under the pillow as she scooped him up to tip-toe past a sea of bodies to a chair that they'd pushed out of the way.

She sat there calmly and quietly to feed her son. There was nothing on her phone. She saw service had returned, but there wasn't a single text or voice mail. She had no idea what happened to the pack or what possibly was still happening. The reality that no crazed vampires busted down the doors and ripped her away from her family was the only thing that gave her hope. They hadn't gotten past the pack which to her meant their side won. She had to have faith the guys were all okay.

Atticus continued eating his normal amount of time, before squirming to a seated position to give his mother one of his big gummy grins. She wiped a trail of milk from the corner of his mouth and he burped loudly. The memory of the distress he felt was obviously erased as far as he was concerned and for that she was very thankful. Bella kissed his forehead and whispered her love to him. She had to try to make some calls, but she knew none of the guys would have their phones on them. She could try Edward again. It was concerning even he hadn't attempted contact. As soon as she stood up to try and start coffee, Sue came out of the room looking frazzled. She was holding her phone between her fingers.

"Who's on the phone?"

"I have to go, they're all headed to my place."

Bella grabbed her. "Sue, who called you?"

All heads popped up around the room. Everyone was anxious to hear word. The other ladies were just like Bella. They all wanted to know who called, what was going on at Sue's.

Sue looked at Barry who sat up, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. "How's your stomach?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, how are you in an emergency? I need an extra pair of strong hands. What do you drive?"

"An SUV."

"Good, come on, we'll take your car. There are trees down all over the place, we might have to take it off-road some. Charlie's coming with a crew this way as soon as he can get through."

Bella was completely rattled. Sue had heard from Charlie and someone from the pack. She handed the baby to Rachel. "I'm coming with you."

"No, Jacob said all of you need to stay here."

"Sue, seriously, you spoke to Jacob but didn't let me talk to him! What the hell is going on? I need to be there."

Of course, Kim, Rachel, Emily and even Amelia agreed.

"No, there are multiple injuries, the children don't need to be around such things. You are mothers, stay with your children. That's what Jacob said is best and I agree, so come on Mr. Van Pelt, we need to get moving. My children need me as well."

* * *

Bella felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Jacob had access to a phone, but he called Sue? Of course, she knew that made sense if Sue was a nurse, but why not ask to speak to her next? What the hell was going on? No one had any sort of messages from their mates. She wasn't the only one in the dark. Everyone started moving around trying to act normal. Emily was the first to suggest they get some breakfast started so the kids would be taken care of and not be worried. Bella knocked on Billy's door. He told her just a minute. She waited at least five minutes pacing in front of his door. He tried to make an exit but she was blocking his way.

"You heard from him too, didn't you?"

"He has work to do, so knowing that you and his son are safe assures he gets the rest accomplished."

She was getting the message loud and clear, Jacob wanted her to stay at the house, but they all deserved more news than 'there are injuries.' That could mean a host of things. The little girls were happily entertaining Atticus so Bella made herself useful in the kitchen. At least an hour or more passed after cooking and cleaning up from breakfast. Finally, as always, she could count on Barry. He texted.

 **Crash course as an EMT, but at least these guys heal up quickly. It wasn't as bad as I imagined. The big guy gave me permission to send out an update. Gather the spouses.**

Bella yelled. "Over here, Barry's telling me the details."

 **Most important detail: no pack fatalities but I think you knew that. Next would be 17 burned and dismember leeches. Is that what they call them?**

"Seventeen?" Someone said in disbelief.

Bella typed in they were all relieved to hear that. She asked what they could do, who was still healing up?

He didn't text back for several minutes. The waiting was excruciating.

 **The new wolves: one with a broken leg, another with significant lacerations, the other in a very bad mood, but all three outdoors, still unable to change back. Sue shows promise as a vet.**

Claire wanted to know which one Zane was, but Barry didn't specify. Emily tried to calm her down.

The next messages came through.

 **Lots of cuts, bruises, and various broken bones. Sam was one of the worst cases.**

Emily practically snatched the phone away. She was extremely worried until Barry explained further.

 **He's strong. I'll give him that. Broken ribs and and serious shoulder/arm injury but that strange blonde doctor fixed him up. He's back outside, taking care of business.**

Emily heaved out a sigh of relief. "My Sammy, he's okay." Bella put her arm around her and Emily handed her the phone back.

 **B. Not supposed to mention this, but your man had a pretty wicked cut on his leg. He was bleeding all over the place, but he's bandaged up now. The doctor insisted he sit still long enough for an IV and antibiotics. He seems fine now except for the foul mood but I'm used to that.**

Bella typed out a response. **Tell him to call me.**

There was one more message that stopped them all in their tracks. They thought the pack was on the mend and nothing was serious.

 **Only one hasn't woken up, my pretty friend. She took a nasty blow to the head. It's been hours. I'll update you on that as soon as I know something. Did you know she and Embry...**

Bella held the phone against her chest, "Leah."

The room got quiet again. Emily was clearly shaken again. "That doesn't sound good."

Rachel added, "What did he mean about Leah and Embry?"

Bella didn't answer but she couldn't hide it. The look was written all over her face.

Kim said it first, "It's Leah, that's who he's been sneaking around with. How did we all miss that? Why were they being so secretive? It's a good thing, right?"

"Poor Leah... poor Emb. She's going to be fine, she has to be."

Bella needed to see her. The longer Leah went without waking up, the more critical the situation appeared. The rest of the morning they attempted to act as normal as possible for the children's sake. They were fortunate that Rachel had done a big shopping trip Saturday morning so they had plenty of food to last for awhile. Bella suggested making extra. The guys were healing, they'd been out all night fighting and they needed fuel. Sue would probably be staying close to Leah. The others agreed and they got busy doing some batch cooking.

* * *

Charlie finally got through the debris covered roads. He had been out most of the night. As the storm rolled in, the calls started pouring in so he went to work. Bella practically launched herself off the porch into her father's arms. She needed someone to hold her and tell her everything was going to be fine. Inside, she felt like it was necessary to be the one taking care of everyone, but outside in her father's arms, she felt like she had permission to accept his comfort. She would always be his little girl.

Bella cried into his shoulder. "I brought this evil to them."

"Stop that right now, Bells. This is beyond your control. What's the alternative, you off alone with no way protect yourself and my grandson?"

"No, I wouldn't risk my son's life, but Aro wants me and now this entire reservation could suffer the consequences. How am I supposed to accept that grim reality?"

Her father kissed her forehead and gave her one more squeeze. "It's going to be alright, kiddo. I trust these men, they handled a very dire situation and Leah's going to make a full recovery, I'm sure of it. She's a warrior."

"Have you talked to Sue?"

"Little bit."

"I haven't spoken to Jake."

"Sue says he's fine. I'm sure he's busy."

Bella knew those things but it didn't stop her from wanting to hear that from him... actually, needing was more accurate. Charlie said he really needed to get going, Bella offered to make him a plate of food, but he said the office had gotten food from someplace and he was fine. He told her he'd touch base with her soon. He also mentioned checking in on Renee. She was a bit rattled, said she was exhausted from the day before. The storm kept her up so she was going to take a long nap. Bella wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Her mother was completely in the dark about all the danger lurking around her daughter.

As Charlie was backing out in the big truck he was borrowing from the county, Bella noticed he stopped and then waved before continuing. She stayed on the porch to see what was up. Quil stepped from behind the truck. Bella took off running for him. He picked her up and swung her around.

As soon as Quil put her feet back on the ground, she gave him a quick examination with her eyes. She saw fading marks and dark bruised areas in various places on his torso, face and arms.

"All superficial, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive, but I'm starving."

She looped her arm through his and told him he was covered. They had enough food inside to keep the pack stuffed for at least four days. The minute Bella stepped inside with her escort, Claire sprung off the floor and into his arms. Quil held onto her standing for a long time. He took her to the sofa and sat down with her in his lap. She wasn't about to let go of him yet.

"You're all beat up."

"I'm fine Claire-bear."

"What about Zane? Bella's friend said some of the new wolves were hurt."

Bella was behind them but she saw Quil stiffen at the mention of Zane. Of course, there was lots of chatter going around the room. The women were anxious if their significant others were on the way over also. Bella was one of them, but she kept silent how badly she wished for Jacob to walk through that door. She couldn't tear herself away from the conversation between Claire and Quil.

"Answer me, what happened to Zane?"

"No, he's not hurt, but you better listen to me, Zane is extremely volatile. You can't be anywhere near him, not for a long time... maybe ever."

"Ever? Are you nuts?" Claire scooted out of Quil's lap and away from him. "He's my boyfriend!"

"Don't be ridiculous, you're still a kid, too young for boyfriends. The truth is Zane's not a boy anymore because of last night. This isn't up for discussion."

"He's only a year older than me," Claire whined which made her sound exactly like the kid Quil spoke of, but Bella understood her point of view. Claire folded her arms across her chest and pouted, "You're not the boss of me!" Emotions were running high and he wasn't handling it the most delicate way. She decided to intervene.

Bella signaled with her head and eyes. "Could you excuse us for a second, Claire? I have some important things to discuss with Quil."

"Fine, I don't even want to talk to him anymore."

The two of them walked over to the window. "You should cool it, that's not helping."

"What... the truth?"

"I know why it's necessary for the young wolves to be segregated for a certain period of time, but everyone eventually settles down and gains control. Claire has been up half the night, like most of us, worried sick about _both_ of you. You came off rather harsh, don't you think? After all, he truly is only fourteen."

"Bella, the number doesn't matter, he's a wolf now and that means he's far too mature for Claire. He's pretty damn volatile, one of the worst I've witnessed. Half the marks you see on me were made by him, not the leeches. That's the facts and I'm sorry about hurting a little girl's feelings but I will do whatever I need to do with regards to her protection. That comes first before anything else in my life."

Quil was acting different. Bella knew this was a serious, tense situation, but she saw a certain hardness in his demeanor that had never been there before. Emily and Kim were trying to calm the young girl down. Quil's words didn't sit well with her and instead of being extremely relieved _her_ Quil was safe and sound, Claire was shooting daggers across the room at him. The tender heart of a teenage girl was a complicated dwelling. Bella told Quil to get some food and hopefully everyone would calm down soon enough.

* * *

Her place at the window allowed her to be the first to see the others. Paul and Jared were approaching the house. Kim and Rachel took off running before she gave them the heads up. That's how it went for Bella the next couple of hours, a few would show up to meet their wives and check on their children. They were taking turns with a quick visit and for some much needed food to ensure their strength and recuperation. Seth's stay was the briefest to check in with Amelia. He wanted to get back to Leah, there hadn't been much change. Carlisle said her vitals were stable but they were waiting for her to regain consciousness. By the middle of the afternoon, every single one of them but Jacob had shown up, a little worse for wear but in fairly good shape. Sam still held his arm in a sling. He assured Emily the sling would be gone by nightfall. Even Barry and Collin stopped by looking cozy and a bit relieved to have each other on such a tumultuous day.

They were all fairly tight-lipped about their ordeal with Aro's group. Frankly, she had enough of the secrecy and she was starting to get irked that Jacob still hadn't made contact with her personally. Atticus had taken a lengthy nap and everyone had plenty going on, so Bella didn't feel like asking any of them to watch him. She gathered a few necessities and got her son situated in his carseat. By God, if Jacob wouldn't come see her, she was going to find him.

Billy intercepted her at the door. "Where do you think you're going, honey? Jake wanted you all to stay here today."

"Guess what? If that's true, then he can tell me himself. I need to see him."

"You know he'd be here if he could."

She wanted to believe that but as the hours ticked by, she wasn't so sure that was a completely truthful statement. If she didn't know better, he was deliberately avoiding her and it was making her crazy.

"Let me call over at Sue's."

"No, Billy, someone is out there and will follow me, we're fine. It's only a few miles. I also need to see Leah. I'm going and no one can stop me."

* * *

Bella got to Sue's minutes later. She didn't have any trouble but she passed several work trucks along the way. They were all lucky they had power. There was damage to some of the lines. She was in the process of unbuckling Atticus when she saw him out of the corner of her eye.

"Look, baby. There's your father, all in one piece, thank goodness."

She expected a joyful reunion but instead Jacob emitted a certain pissed off vibe that put her in a similar mood. He limped towards them. "You need to buckle him right back up and go back to Dad's. I said for you to stay put, but like always- you don't listen."

"What's that supposed to mean? I've been frantic, Jake. You let everyone else have a turn but you never showed. Hell, you can't even call me but your dad's heard from you multiple times. How do you think that made me feel?"

"You knew I was fine."

"No, I _heard_ you were fine, but I wanted to see with my own eyes like all the rest of them." She looked down at the bandages that covered one thigh completely. "How bad is that cut?"

"The cut's healed. I'm only keeping this on because I haven't had time to remove it."

"If Carlisle bandaged it so heavily, I'm sure it's there for a reason. You should leave it until the end of the day at least and I'm not leaving until I see Leah."

"Leah's going to wake up. I'm sure of it."

"I know, but I want to sit with her." He avoided eye contact with her. It was like he was a completely different person. This was the cold, detached Jacob that she'd witnessed a few times and never much cared for. "Why are you acting like this? Don't shut me out."

Instead of saying anything, he turned around and started walking away from her. Bella held their son tight against her hip and stomped ahead to catch up to him. She reached for his arm and he stilled but didn't look at her. "Stop being like this. I know you're swamped with duties. I understand, but can you at least hold me for a second, give your son a kiss, anything. I can't stand this, Jacob."

He slowly rotated, first he leaned over and patted Atticus's head. He kissed him and said, "Daddy loves you, buddy." Bella got a small, quick squeeze from him but it wasn't holding by any means. "Fine, go see Leah and then go back, please."

It was getting harder and harder to believe they were the same two people completely consumed with love and passion for one another less than 24 hours before. She felt like another crater had opened up in the ground between them and she needed to find a way to start filling it back up because she was not suffering that type of distance with him again. Bella also needed some answers.

"That's it? That's all you have to say to me?"

"You don't wanna hear what I have to say and since the kid's here I'm trying to keep my cool."

"So, you've changed your mind. They came and now you know I'm not worth this much trouble. I put everyone's life at risk."

"Are you fucking kidding me with that shit?"

"No, because I don't know what else it could be that got you so angry with me."

"You don't know... "

"No, I don't."

"You tried to leave. I said stay put, Bells. You ignored me. Jared replayed the conversation with Rach soon after it happened. I had to think about you out in the storm all alone, exposing yourself to danger. At the same time, we were in the fight of our lives and we were losing. I can't afford those types of distractions even for a split second. Thirteen lives depend on me to protect and lead them. If you sustain harm or worse, then I'm useless. I wouldn't be able to go on and they'd all fall. I know that wasn't your intention, but that's how it could've gone last night and excuse me if I'm having a little trouble sorting that out in my brain right now."

She pulled his hand and he followed her to the steps in front of Sue's house. "I'm sorry, but there were extenuating circumstances. The boys... they were all in trouble. I helped them. Didn't Jared show you that part as well?"

"Yes, I saw Ryder."

"Okay, imagine Sage in a similar place... your son too."

"Are you telling me Ace was like that? He's a baby."

"Not exactly but he was in extreme distress and uncomfortable for several minutes. I got to him immediately and then to Sage. Time was crucial, the longer it went on, the worse it got. I was going to help Sam and Emily's son and I'm glad Jared was able to bring him to me instead, but if he hadn't, I would've gone. I don't regret any of my decisions last night."

Jacob propped his elbows on his legs, she saw him wince when he touched the left one. He was such a liar. That wound was still healing which meant it was much worse than he let on. He held his face in his hands. She heard him choking up. "I can't protect you."

Bella balanced Atticus on her lap and snaked her arm around Jacob. "What are you talking about? Of course, you can. You did. They were all destroyed. Aro tested you and now he'll find out, he can't win."

"Bells, didn't you hear me? We were losing even before all seventeen showed up and I'm not completely sure there weren't more but they retreated to regroup and plan on coming back for another sneak attack which is one of the reasons, I don't want you out and about."

"Oh."

"Yeah, your damn right, 'oh,' this isn't over. That's it. No one leaves the reservation. I sent some of the guys to Charlie's for your things, even _he's_ moving here with Sue for now. Brady is on the way for Renee too."

"What? My mom is going to freak out. I need to talk to her first."

"Of course, I know she isn't the ideal person to share the secret with but we have no choice. Remember what that fucker, James did to you? You think these Volturi bastards won't use people you love to get to you? I'm sure they'll go to any lengths."

"Don't worry, you have my word I'll do whatever you say from here on out and I'll handle my mother. Her safety is more important than one of her episodes. I'll make her understand."

He gave her a strange look of disbelief. "Oh, so now I have your word you'll listen and do what I say?"

"Of course, I understand about the reservation, but it's not like I'm indefinitely under house arrest. We still have lives to lead. They can't take that away from us. I won't raise our family in a glass house. I trust the pack."

"If you're inadvertently comparing me to the bloodsucker, I don't appreciate it. I'm not going to lock you in a tower but for now, we need to be extra cautious."

"I wasn't, Jake. You know there's no comparison. Why even bring Edward up?"

"You called him."

"Yes, I didn't know what else to do."

"It worked. Like I said, we were losing, until Edward and the Cullens got there. The mind reading gave us an upper hand as well as Jasper and his extensive battle experience. Things changed after their arrival. We've worked with them before and this time, we were even better as a unit."

"So I don't always make poor choices?"

"I never said you did, quit putting words in my mouth. Do you know how tough it is for me to admit we need Edward? I don't want to rely on them but I have to."

"Jake, I know it goes against your nature to partner with them but the Cullens are unique. I believe they are our allies from here on out, even Edward. He said you were _my pack_ last night. I think he finally gets it. You're too hard on yourself, as usual. I still feel safe with you and the guys. I trust you always."

Atticus grabbed hold of Jacob's finger like he agreed with her. He shook his hand in unison with his.

Jacob carried so many heavy burdens. Bella was sure they'd only scratched the surface of what all was bothering him at the moment. "What if he sends 30 next time or 40 or 50, then what?"

"Aro is borderline insane, but his power means everything to him, I doubt he'll risk his entire stronghold for one insignificant human girl in America. Hopefully, this convinced him to give it a rest."

"You're not insignificant. Carlisle has a theory. He wants to meet with us soon when everything settles down. I told him we'd make it happen, but who knows when this will calm down. I have my hand's full with these pups. I called in to Ashely with the craziest, most contagious disease Dr. Fang could think up. He's writing me an excuse to be out of work at least two weeks."

"I'm sure it must be so confusing for all of them and hard on the rest of you. Quil doesn't seem to be handling the Zane thing well at all."

"You have no fucking idea. I need a watch on Quil. He's acting like a damn fool."

"Do you think we've all misinterpreted his imprint with Claire and it's not so different than all the others. I know he's completely respectful of her age for now, but I sensed true jealousy there. It wasn't like him."

Jacob said he didn't know anymore, but since Zane was in the dark about the wolves and now he knew all about the imprint, he wasn't happy to hear the extent of Quil and Claire's connection. "As soon as things settled down a bit at Sue's, he got hostile out back, called Quil a bunch of unflattering things in his mind, including pervy old uncle. That set Quil's wolf off, then both of them started a brutal fight despite we'd all been up all night fighting the real enemy. The pack is a brotherhood and I think we're a long way from those two behaving like brothers. Jared and Brady had to get involved to separate them. As you can imagine, I don't need this kind of distraction."

"So much to think about, but other than that drama, how are the three new ones?"

"Fucking scared out of their minds and I don't blame them. I had to put pups into battle last night. I had no choice. It's never been done. Canyon wasn't even ready in my opinion and can you imagine phasing and then seconds later, real death on legs is chasing you down with those creepy, blood-red eyes? I'm surprised they all escaped with minimal damage. It wasn't something I wanted on my conscience but I had about three seconds to weigh the decision. I needed the numbers. Bella leaned into him, by that time their son was reaching for his father to hold him so she passed him over and wrapped her arms around Jake's bulky torso. She cried against his heated skin.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't meant to scare you or put anyone in more danger, but you need to trust my instincts like I trust yours. Those boys were my sole priority at the beginning of the situation. I had to help them."

"I know, Bells but you know I don't like to feel out of control." He kissed her on the side of her hair. "I'm sorry I was a jerk. I missed you all day. I wanted to see you but I was trying to calm down. I love you so much, honey."

She lifted up so she could kiss him on the mouth.

"I love you too."

Jacob said he was going to be scarce for several days.

Bella argued he still needed food and rest. "Make a schedule, take turns. Don't burn yourself out because we need to see you and you have to take breaks."

"I'll try. I really need to go now but I'd like to take you in to see Lee. Then I'm putting you back in the car and watching you leave with my own eyes."

She stood up and followed him inside. Bella's eyes scanned the room. It still had all the signs of being a makeshift emergency room: bandages, medical supplies, IV bags and bloody towels were strewn about. She stared at a bag of actual blood that was almost drained completely. Jacob looked at her studying that particular area of the room. He stepped in front of her and put his arm on her back to keep her moving. She realized he didn't want her to focus of the carnage and why did she have the sinking suspicion he was the one that needed a unit of blood?

They found Sue and Embry at Leah's side. She said Carlisle promised to be back within the hour for a new assessment. He was doing research on some possible drug protocols. Leah looked peaceful, like she was sleeping, except for the white bandage that wrapped around her entire head. That was the only clue she was injured severely. Little bits of dried blood were at the bottom edge smudged across her forehead.

Jacob told them Bella wanted to sit a minute and maybe they could use a break to stretch or get a drink. He offered to carry Ace with him but she kept him on her lap and told him he was fine. He was too young to know what was going on. The older kids would all be frightened to see Leah that way. Bella took her hand and held it while she spoke to her. She always heard unconscious people might be able to hear things so she talked like normal to her.

At the end, she got a little emotional, "Please wake up Leah. The rumors are already circulating. Everyone knows Embry's sweet on you. It's too obvious now to hide, he hasn't left your side. I think he loves you to tell you the truth. Why don't you wake up and tell me what you think about that? I know you always have opinions."

Bella gently kissed the top of Leah's hand. Atticus loved grabbing onto fingers so when she moved her hand closer, he reached over and grabbed on like normal.

"That's it. See Ace is sending you his love too. He says, wake up just like all of us."

Bella didn't want to overstay, but her son was certainly attached to Leah's finger. She had to pry off his little fist away. Gosh, this boy was strong. He was going to be just like his father. She noted he had a very serious look on his face but finally released his grip. Bella was just about to say her final good bye and let Sue and Embry back in when Leah's lids fluttered.

"Emb..." came out like a moan.

Bella practically shouted to everyone outside the room, "She's awake!"

As luck would have it, Carlisle had just returned and was rushing to get in there quickly to assess her. He came out ten short minutes later and said he saw no signs of lasting damage. "She said she's hungry."

They all had good laugh which felt nice to be able to do so soon after the most harrowing experience any of them had ever experienced.

Jacob escorted them to the car, Bella handed him a bag of food she had in the passenger seat. He cupped her face in his hand. "It's not going to be easy watching you drive away, knowing I have no idea when I'll have time alone with you again."

"I'm here, Jake. We'll get back that special moment again soon. I have faith, so you should too. You're over being mad at me, right?"

"Honey, it's not exactly like that. I'm not ready to talk about all that happened the past few hours and I can't say with certainty I'll ever be over it. I might need a little more time, but I love you so much. It actually hurts to be away."

He leaned in the window to give her a parting kiss. Bella understood why he treated her the way he did earlier. Jacob wasn't used to being scared but she saw it in his eyes, he was still very afraid. Even though she meant it, that she trusted them, Bella was just as afraid, maybe more. After all, she'd met Aro in person and he was still the star of all her nightmares.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 ** _Thoughts, comments, questions... I'm eager for all those things._**


	44. Chapter 44

_**~I want to give a shout out to my loyal reader** **sarahmicaela88. She gave me the idea for this chapter title with her review.**_

Chapter 44: Separation Anxiety

Jacob peeked in the room. He did it every night just to inhale their scents and for a few seconds of peace, since it was rare to find it anywhere else, currently. It had been five nights since one of his best nights turned into his worst. He knew he came to a truce with Bella and that it was important for her to see him, but he'd done his best to make excuses to avoid her. He couldn't stop remembering those flashes in Jared's mind when he was on the phone with Rachel and she said, "Bella's gone."

The unknown didn't even last for five full minutes, but it felt like a hundred years when he experienced it second hand. He heard her excuses and he was damn proud of how she took care of things even though Jacob hadn't told her that part yet. She saved those boys from a frightening ordeal, theirs included, but he still couldn't forget her recklessness. She was born for this duty, leading the pack with him, but there were limitations. He could admit she was by far the strongest women he'd ever known and he loved that about her, but strong human versus vampire would always have the same outcome. Human is no match. If only one of those creatures had been looming a tiny bit further to the south, Bella could have been swept away in an instant.

However far they'd come, they still had issues to work through. He knew that, but the guys were running him ragged, not to mention how much extra stress he was under with the demands of beefing up security. Jacob was jumping in on every patrol, day and night. He was exhausted and he needed to be in better condition to sort things out with Bells.

When he was tired, he got irritable and he was done snapping at her. He might still inadvertently be giving her the cold shoulder, but he was attempting to correct that. At least, she was safe at Sue's. He suggested she and Ace move over there. Embry was staying with Leah who was back to normal. That meant two wolves were in the house most of the time, plus the three he kept on patrol were always nearby. Renee was staying at Billy's in Embry's old room. She'd been a handful for Bells from the stories he'd heard. She was finally accepting it, but his father said she was sleeping a lot. Bella still wanted her to visit with Carlisle. He thought maybe by the first of next week, they could all spare some time for an appointment. He was anxious for Bella to also have an exam and give up a little blood as well as hear why Carlisle suspected this Italian bloodsucker was so hellbent on acquiring her.

As it stood now, everyone lived back on the res. He hated to do it to Seth and Amelia, but they were working out something with their professors and hopefully, Seth would still earn his diploma even if it was delayed. Collin and Barry were back at the old cabin too.

Jacob phased in at the end of a patrol shift. Ever since the Sunday night trip into hell, the entire region had been completely calm. That worried him even more. He went through a few instructions and down the checklist. Next week, they would attempt at getting a few things back to normal. He'd kept all the kids out of school and day care but agreed they couldn't keep that up. Pretty much, no one was going to work and everybody was under house arrest so to speak. He knew that couldn't last either. He promised Bells no concrete towers, no glass houses. She chose to stay human _to live_ and he was going to prove to her, they had a full life ahead of them.

Ashley had been blowing up his phone begging him to come back to work. She told him to wear a mask, that she wasn't afraid of catching whatever he had, that she was fully vaccinated. He negotiated possibly coming in some the next week with limited hours, preferably in the evenings when no one else was around. He moved back an appointment with the lawyer also. He was plenty surprised since he knew how badly Jacob wanted to move forward with the divorce. He hoped it didn't send a mixed signal with Kaleigh, but it was not possible to drive up to Seattle at the moment.

As soon as Jacob was satisfied the guys had it covered, he decided to head back to the house to grab the three essentials: food, a shower and three hours of sleep. Quil stepped in his way just as Jacob made it out of the woods. He had just gotten off patrol and Jacob had at least a ten minute conversation with during that shift change.

"What's up? You miss something?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to cause a scene, but you and I need to talk."

Great. Jacob was sure to hear another round of drama about how Zane was a punk and he needs to order him to stay away from Claire. Jacob already said a big fat no to that. Sam tried that shit with him and it only fueled the anger.

"Man, not now, I'm beat. The kid's doing better. Jared promised to be his mentor. Let it go. He hasn't even seen her yet."

"That wasn't what I was going to say, but since you brought it up, he's contacted her plenty and you have to admit he is a pain in the ass, one of our worst." Quil was partially right, Zane had quite the mouth on him for a newbie and a damn kid. It was no secret, he sure as hell did not like Quil. He thought this imprinting stuff was bullshit. He was even disappointed about Jared and Kim, he always thought they were merely a great couple and he admired them. His father split when he young and his mother worked a lot to get her business going, so they were pretty much his role models for years.

"What do you want me to do and when are you going to move past it? You knew this day would come, didn't you? Claire's growing up. More importantly, Zane is now your brother like all the rest of us."

Quil grumbled after hearing that remark. He also reminded Jake what it was like right after the phase. "All that damn testosterone and adrenaline is fucking flooding your veins day and night. We all experienced it. You can't wait to kill a bloodsucker even if you're terrified and aren't sure how. When you aren't thinking about that, you're thinking about fucking, anyone will do. I made some of my worst decisions after I phased. Lest we forget Paul and his nightly manwhoring until he reconnected with Rach. Brady was terrible and even Collin plowed through half the girls at the res school when we all knew, he preferred boys."

"I wasn't fucking around. I controlled myself."

"Ha! That's because you're a stubborn son a bitch and you were a hold out for Bella and then she was your secret imprint so no chance were you going to fuck around. Don't forget, I was in your mind and you were thinking about the possibility of sex with her all the damn time. That little twat, Zane better not be thinking about Claire like that, she's still a kid. Did you know that fucker already stole her first kiss?"

"Dammit, Quil, she's in the 8th grade. I'm sure he didn't steal it. Kim and Emily have this covered with all the do's and don'ts and about being safe."

"Safe? Have you lost your damn mind, Black? Don't even go there. She's not ready."

"I agree with you there and I also have faith in Claire. She's smart and very mature. This is an innocent relationship, more like a first crush. Forgive the pun, but I'm sure it's only puppy love and won't even go on much longer. I need your focus, but your emotions are all over the place. Why don't you and Brady take a night off soon and blow off steam like you used to, only now Embry won't be joining you. That's more women for you guys though."

"You mean, I should get laid?"

Jacob shrugged. That was pretty much what he meant by blowing off steam.

"Can I tell you some top secret shit, and it stays between just the two of us?"

"Sure, sure. Shoot."

"I had it all figured out before. I knew who I was, I enjoyed my freedom. I knew what Claire was to me and she was a joy. I was happy to be there for her. Her mom hasn't been there for her since she was an infant, basically. I was damn good at being what she needed, the spirits did right."

"Agreed." After the initial shock of what happened to Quil, the pack all began to see the changes and even though he was still crazy, fun-loving Quil, he had a lot more drive and purpose in his life.

"This fucking re-phase changed me. I don't regret it, I'd do it again and again for Bella, you know we all love her and Ace, but I can't get back to how I used to be, no matter how hard I try. Jake, I haven't been with a woman in months. You have no idea how frustrating that can be for a guy like me."

Jacob tried not to strain his eyes when he rolled them back in his head. Quil was preaching to the choir. He knew plenty about frustration. He was honestly relieved to have his leg sliced open because it took the focus off his aching nuts. After hearing Quil's confession, he sensed he wasn't the only one with complications.

"Why, man? Elaborate, are you trying and striking out or are you just bored with flings? Maybe you should think about settling down."

"I've tried, but something's not working right anymore." Jacob glanced downward. "Not that, buttmunch. You know what I mean, emotions and shit."

"Who the hell are you kidding? You were never into chicks because of emotions, you were there for the pussy."

Quil had seat on the ground and roughly pulled his fingers through his hair. He basically cried out a noise of frustration. "What if he's right?"

"Who?"

"That damn kid, he called me a perv."

Jacob suspected they were about to cross over into uncharted territory. "Quil, have your feelings for Claire changed?"

"No, but yes, I don't know, maybe a little. Can I explain myself before you turn me into Charlie and have me put on some kind of damn sex offender list."

"You're not a sex offender, but it's obvious you're confused as hell."

"I still see her the same, a kid, but it's weird because she doesn't smell like bubble gum and daisies. I can't remember the last time I had a plastic cup in the window with one of her living presents. I used to love getting things like that from her grimy fingers. Those nails are never filthy anymore, half the time she paints them in pretty colors, plus she's wearing makeup now and dressing different. Also, she has a certain scent that I can only describe as feminine. I see the way you're looking at me Jake. I swear, I'm not being creepy. She and I used to be so relaxed, like family. Now, I find myself backing up an inch or two, giving her different types of hugs because I don't want it to get weird. She's oblivious, still acts like I'm her big doofus brother, I'm the one that's changing and I'm trying not to."

Jacob was honest, he never thought this day would come and he still wasn't convinced what Quil was starting to worry about was actually happening. He tried to make him feel better. "I think right now, we're all over-worked, exhausted, and not thinking straight half the time. I forget, since my own life has been such a roller coaster that I set into motion, that the rest of you have done a major 180 as well. I turned your lives upside down when I asked you to rejoin the pack. It's a major mindfuck. I think things will settle back down to normal with Claire eventually. I know you love her and always will but it's never been like the other imprints and I doubt that would change overnight. You're having trouble with her approaching womanhood. It happens to most dads and that's probably all it is. You're not weird or a perv or any of that shit. I won't tolerate Zane disrespecting you. I'll have another chat with him. This is going to get better." Maybe Bella's idea, Quil and Monica meet was for the best. He needed a distraction, but Jake wasn't going to mention the possible setup considering the mood he was in.

Quil said he appreciated what he said and hoped he was right. He wanted Jacob to understand he wasn't thinking anything inappropriate. "It's just for the first time ever, I find myself thinking about five years from now. I'm wondering if it's possible that things will change when she truly is a woman. I can honestly say, it never crossed my mind before, but now it does and I'm afraid and I don't even know why." He held his hands up over his head and yelled out in the night, "Curse you, damn spirits! Why me? I'm the pack clown. I'm the screw up. I'm not qualified for this type of responsibility."

"Quil, relax and unless you want everyone else to know, stop yelling at the stars. It's going to work out. I trust your judgment."

"Since when?" he said sarcastically. "Do you still trust me when I admit that the thought of Zane's grubby paws on my imprint makes we want to do grave bodily harm on him?"

Fuck. This was more complicated than he first thought, but he assured Quil that he did.

* * *

Jacob really needed some damn sleep but his friend needed him more. He'd basically poured his guts out and that was not the easiest conversation for either of them. He decided to invite him out back for a beer. They went inside, grabbed the beers out of the fridge and headed out to the screened in porch. They were out there maybe ten minutes before Paul joined them.

"Nice way to exclude me, dipshits."

"I thought you went to bed already, grab one and have a seat." Quil squinted his eyes at Jacob. He was making sure they were going to steer into a different conversation, not the one that revolved around his confusing feelings about being imprinted to Claire.

Paul joined them. "I thought so too, but Rach has a headache and you know how that's a mood killer. I'll shoot the shit with you two losers tonight since none of us are getting any action. To tell you the truth, she's been wearing me out since our brush with death, my dick could use a night off."

"Hey, I've got an idea to pass the time. I'll finish my beer and then bust this empty bottle over your head since you believe it's okay to bring up your sex life with my sister in front of me. It might be fun to see how much you bleed."

Paul chuckled and Quil clinked his bottle with his. "Damn, bro. I miss this. Why'd we all grow up and get so many responsibilities? That fucking sucks."

"True dat," Quil agreed.

"Speaking of bleeding, I never knew someone could bleed so much and not die. That was a deep cut, bro and you were fading fast until that fierce blonde bitch clamped down on your leg. I think she has a thing for you if you want my opinion. She was awfully close to the goods. Did that finally stop bothering you?"

"None of your business and about Blondie, gross, that's disgusting. Don't ever repeat that shit again. I thought I issued a direct order, no one is talk about the injuries, especially mine. I don't want Bells, or Rach or even Dad to hear about it, you got me?"

"No problem, mum's the word," then he did a zipping motion across his lips.

Jake asked who wanted another beer, so they all got seconds. Paul found some food in the fridge which he said might be off limits but they were all starving so he was willing to take the risk. "She either said I could have this or I better not, it was for her mom's group party or something. Who the hell knows? I wasn't paying attention."

They all dug into the casserole which suspiciously looked like it was wrapped up to be transported someplace the following day. Jacob would be gone when Rachel woke up so Paul could take the brunt of her fury. It wouldn't be the first time they all fucked up something in the kitchen.

It didn't take long before the other two started in on him. "Why you sleeping over here on the lumpy couch in the wee morning hours everyday, Black?"

"Because I don't want to sleep outside and I have to sleep a few hours a night at least."

"Bullshit. We all know what you skipped out on that night when the legion of Italian doom descended upon us. You're in, like literally. She let you back in, why are you avoiding Bella? I bet three hours next to your mate would be a helluva lot more restful than an entire night on that old beat up sofa. Trust me, I've been banished to it countless times, it sucks. Rachel keeps bugging me to take her shopping for a new one."

"Paul's right, this is why I wanted to talk tonight in the first place."

"Oh really, because you didn't bring _me_ up once out there if I remember correctly."

"That's because you reminded me of other important topics I needed to get off my chest."

Paul's curiosity was peaked. "Like what? Sounds juicy, spill Ateara."

Quil and Jacob said in unison, "Nothing!"

"Jesus, you don't have to yell, keep it down, my kids are sleeping. Back to Black and how he's afraid of Bella."

"I'm not afraid."

They both gave him the _yeah right_ look.

"Let me clarify. I'm not afraid of Bells. I want to be over there with her more than anything, but I am afraid of what we saw. I doubt either of you have forgotten so soon. That was the fight of our lives, so much worse than a herd of newborns when we were teenagers. I've never been more afraid of failing her."

"So you push her away, instead of expressing how you're feeling. How's that working for ya?"

"Not so great. I want to talk about it, but I'm not in the right frame of mind just yet."

"Jake, I know you're pissed about her going out in the storm and that she called the ex but she did her job. Seriously, no one told her what to do. We didn't have contingency plans for that type of emergency, but Bella knew somehow and she didn't hesitate. She kicked ass!"

"I'm not pissed about her calling Edward. I'm pissed because we desperately needed him and I don't see how I'm ever getting rid of him completely until the king of the vamps is destroyed. Bella took a risk I asked her not to. You felt what those minutes did to me. Emb basically took over those tense moments, I was frozen with fear, practically ready to abandon my pack in the worst of times. She needs to be more careful."

The guys were quick to point out that if one of those leeches had broken ranks and slipped away or they were a decoy to keep the pack occupied, it wouldn't have mattered where Bella was if one went after her. "She could be in the house, in the car, in an underground shelter, wherever, they could've gotten to her if that was the mission. I think it's obvious, it wasn't about that this time."

"Fuck off, Lahote. How's that supposed to make me feel better? You're basically reminding me I can't protect her."

"No, I just think we need to be better. We weren't fully prepared that time, but next time we will be. You've already made a bunch of changes in that direction. Stop replaying the failures of that evening over and over, it's not helping any of us."

"And stop pushing Bella away. You're acting like a dumb shit, Alpha. Didn't you learn your lesson by marrying Kaleigh out of spite?" Jacob was giving Quil a damn dirty look after how much support he'd just given him before Paul joined in. Now, they were ganging up on him relentlessly. "I'm speaking for all of us. We had a meeting you didn't know about and I drew short straw to deliver the message. The pack can't move forward and strengthen until the two of you straighten things out."

"Ditto and for fuck's sake, can you please seal the deal and stop all this start and stop shit? My balls hurt reliving these moments when you let stuff slip into your subconscious. Tell her you're an ass, beg forgiveness, fuck her thoroughly and mark her again. Why am I the only one that makes sense around this place? I have used these techniques with Rach countless times, minus the marking, once was enough, but I think your wolf wants a turn."

Jacob stood up, drained his second beer as he stepped closer to Paul. He held the bottle over his head. He was tempted, but Paul made a lot of sense tonight.

"Please don't hit me, bro. I'm only trying to help."

Jacob handed him the empty bottle to avoid the temptation. He squeezed his shoulder probably harder than he should. "I'm going to shower and hopefully crash an hour. Thanks for tonight, both of you. I get what you're saying and I swear I'm going to think about it. Goodnight."

* * *

He did like he promised Quil and Paul, Jacob thought about how he was going to approach Bella almost all day, but in the end, he let the time slip away again. Once more, he was skulking the hallway at Sue's late at night. He slowly twisted the knob of her door. Jacob was going to stick his head in long enough for a quick look. His eyes focused on his son first, but when he glanced at the bed, something looked off. He moved inside the room a step. Although her scent was strong, Bella wasn't in the bed. She'd piled pillows in the middle to look like she was sleeping but she clearly was missing.

He had about three seconds of sheer panic before he turned around desperate to find her. She might be in the bathroom but why do the pillow charade? That made no sense. Jacob looked down the hall and saw the bathroom door open and no one was there. He heard Embry and Leah in the next bedroom doing their thing and Charlie was with Sue. He tiptoed closer and they appeared asleep, thank God. He didn't want to hear the parents doing things. He had one sole focus and that was finding Bells. She would not leave Ace willingly so he was nearing the point of stepping outside and doing a distress howl. There was no reeking leech smells but he was still completely shaken she was missing.

He got to the open area of the living room and gave it a shot, "Bells... where are you?"

A light flicked on in the corner. She looked like a ghost standing behind the floor lamp when it lit her up. He was flooded with relief. Bella wasn't taken or missing, she was just hiding... in a corner... in the dark. Uh, oh. She was pissed.

She turned the lamp back off and met him in the middle of the room. "Oh, so now you're looking for me?"

Jacob stuttered, "Um... well, yeah, it's late and I... well, you know, I... "

"You peek in on us at night. Yes, I've noticed, but during the day, I rarely catch a glimpse of you. This stops now, Jake. Sit down!" She was tiny, but she easily backed him into the couch. He felt like he had no choice but to sit.

"I'm sorry, I was going to come by today, but I got tied up."

Bella plopped right down in his lap. She straddled his legs. "I wish I was strong enough to tie you up, because I most definitely would. Stop avoiding me. We are going to sit here and work this out if it takes all damn night. I thought you loved me."

Jacob brought his hands to her waist. "Of course, I love you, honey. I'm sorry, there's no excuse for the way I've been acting. The longer I waited to talk, the easier it was to chicken out. You're right, we should talk, but I'm going to need you to move off of me because ever since you mentioned tying me up, I stopped thinking straight and I need to focus." She slipped out of his lap and sat next to him.

"Better?"

"Yes and no," he slipped his arm around her and she started the water works. "Jeez, Bells, don't cry. I hate it when I make you cry."

"Then stop doing stupid shit that makes me sad."

"I'm sorry. You go first. Tell me anything you need to get off your chest."

"I had a whole speech planned out, but now that we're here, I forgot. Can you please hold me for a while and then we'll talk later?"

Jacob wrapped his arms around her and Bella melted into him. He kissed the top of her head. He couldn't remember why he chose to avoid her for almost a week, because honestly there was no place on earth he'd rather be.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Some of you also read on Tricky Raven. I was sad to get the notice the site will shut down soon. It was because of their weekly prompt that I even started this story which has turned into a bit of an obsession for me if I'm completely honest. Currently, all my stories are housed either here or TR. I don't have plans to move my work or add them to any other sites currently. I have been asked in several reviews about my other stories. This will most likely be my final multi-chapter fanfic. I would love to go back and finish the other ones, but I can't promise that right now. I just hope this one continues to engage and entertain my faithful readers. Thanks so much for your continued support.**_


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Date Night

They finally started talking. Jacob truly didn't want to keep her up all night. She wanted to know how the pack was doing, what was really stressing him out so bad.

"Other than the obvious, you really want to know?"

"Yes, of course. I want to share everything with you, good and bad. I know things are crazy, but I told you we need to see you. I meant everyday. I want to take care of you on your down time. Instead, I hear Emily is the one feeding you most of the time and Rachel says you barely sleep on the couch a few hours each night. I'm feeling useless, like you can't rely on me."

"You're not, honey. You're anything but useless to me and far too patient for putting up with my attitude lately. I'm an idiot. I don't want to let you down and when we're together, I've been reminded how often I do just that. I'm not even talking about the bloodthirsty vamps right now. That's a whole other level of failure, but you should know the pack is ten times better in just a week."

Bella grabbed his hand. "I know, Jacob, I trust you."

"Seriously, I can't stop thinking about us the other night either and not for the obvious reasons, but we were really moving forward. I never planned to rush you. I had a much better plan, but I got swept away by how things went as soon as you visited me in the garage."

"Jacob, I was there. We were both swept away that day. It was new and exciting, but at the same time, familiar and expected. I was pretty clear with my feelings. I threw myself at you, actually took off my clothes. You didn't misread my signals, so don't backtrack and think you were rushing me. I hate that we were interrupted for about a thousand reasons actually."

Jacob needed to tell her more about the night of the attack, but he was honestly tired of reliving it. He decided to talk about happy things so he told her how much he missed leaving her presents in the mornings. She admitted she did too even though he didn't have to do those things to prove his love. Bella yawned in the middle of a sentence. He gave his word no more hiding out. He told her to get a good night's sleep and he'd be there early to talk more. "You could come to bed with me, get some real sleep too. Pretty please."

Jacob leaned in to give her a sweet kiss. He missed her mouth, he missed everything about her. "I have to go check on the guys, I'm on the next shift, but that sounds like a outstanding plan. Rain check? I'll talk to Sue and Charlie, make sure it's okay for me to stay over."

Bella said they wouldn't care. She was also debating telling him something important but said the morning was probably a better time to discuss it. He walked her back to the bedroom. Jacob kissed her goodnight there, because if he went in the room with her, he would have a hard time not staying and he really did have a shift less than hour away.

* * *

He made it early like he promised. No one else seemed to be around. Ace was playing in the gated off area Bella created for him on a colorful play mat. Jacob went straight for him. He'd seen him briefly several times over the last week but hadn't done much interacting with him.

He lifted him high and tickled his belly. "How's my big boy? Daddy missed you." His son squealed in delight with every word he said to him.

Bella stuck her head around the corner from the kitchen. She had her morning coffee in her hands. "Good morning." Jacob kept their son in his arms, and walked the surprise over.

"I brought you a scone, Mommy."

She giggled. "Nice, I've been craving one of those again. Did you get one too?"

"Nope, I grabbed a cinnamon muffin. I tipped extra since Brit closed up shop for days, but then she was in no place to work after Zane."

"Oh, how are those pups? I can't wait to meet all of them."

"All are doing pretty well. I might let them go back to school in another week."

"I feel like there's more to the story. You're not telling me everything. How's Quil?"

"In need of therapy."

"Want me to talk to him?"

"Maybe, eventually. I need a woman's point of view and honestly Kim and Emily are too close to it all. I know he'd rather not divulge everything to them."

"Understood. I'm here for my pack."

"I know and we are all better because of it. I'm sorry, Bells. I should have done better at telling you how proud I was of you. You were made to do this with me. We talked about it and the pack would like you to sit in on some meetings occasionally."

She smiled and said she'd be honored. Jacob made small talk with her. They had the house to themselves which was nice. He balanced Ace on his good leg, the other one was still a bit sensitive and he wasn't sure why. He swore he still had this gimp to it which was starting to bug him, but they were all going to the Cullen's soon so he'd ask the vamp doc about it later.

"I just remembered, last night you mentioned you have news?"

She acted very nonchalant, "Oh, yeah, it's no biggie... just that you got the job and your sign-on bonus is in the mail."

"What? How? When?"

"Well, you're always gone and I assumed you left your phone so I couldn't contact you so I answered it. Mr. Um, what's his name again?"

"Mr. Thumying."

"Yeah, he called. He has this idea I'm your fiancée. I told him you were caught up in a family emergency so he gave me the good news. Congratulations."

That was amazing news. He'd been so caught up in the mess, he practically forgot about the job, not really, but it wasn't at the top of his list of worries. Bella said she thought they should celebrate and that reminded Jacob of one more way he failed her.

"Why so glum? I thought you'd be giddy right about now."

"Jeez Bells, I lead a pack of wolves, I don't do giddy, but there was something I really wanted to do with you and because of all the chaos, I can't."

She had this weird expression and kind of looked back and forth at him. He finally caught onto how that sounded and started laughing. "No, not that, well... that too, but I meant a date, Bells. I had these grand plans to take you on a real date. I was going to go all out, no way was I going home without getting to second base." He winked at her.

"Second? You don't say. Sound pretty sure of yourself, don't you think?"

"Yep, I already talked to Renee and Charlie and they were going to watch Ace. I was picking you up in a special car we have at the garage and then we were going to great French restaurant where I planned to wine and dine you." He paused a second. "I'm doing good so far, aren't I?"

"Yes, keep going. So far, I'm impressed, then what?"

"I was planning on looking into what was currently the worst movie showing and taking you there next. You know how I am about recreating memories? I would hog the popcorn, Newton would be nowhere near us and you would definitely hold _my_ hand. Who knows the movie would probably be so bad, we'd have to start making out just to get through it."

Bella sighed. "French food, bad movies and impromptu make outs, that sounds like the best night ever, Jake. I'm practically swooning."

"I'm not done yet. Brit was making a special, out of season treat just for us. You have no idea how much thought I put into this date night. We skipped all that normal stuff in case you hadn't noticed. We've done our entire relationship ass-backwards."

"Yeah, I noticed. By the way, our son is drooling all over your arm." She wiped up his mess. He was definitely working on cutting his first tooth. "What else?"

He licked his lips and gave her the eye. "The goodnight kiss, that's what."

She giggled. He was enjoying the build-up of this story. They were having fun. "So I was going to allow a kiss even though it was only our first date?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't be able to resist me. It was sure to be a hot one until Charlie opened the door on us with a typical dad move."

"Wow, it all sounds so romantic and sweet. We would have had an amazing time. I think I know why you're bummed. I guess you don't trust being out and about just yet but we can make it happen one day. I'm sure of it. Maybe Alice will get some visions or Carlisle will hear some chatter and we can all relax a little."

"Alice? Are you kidding? She finally saw a glimpse after we were ten minutes into an attack. I don't have much faith in her."

Bella's face fell some. The grim reality that their lives were somewhat on hold was revived in their thoughts.

"Well, it truly sounded like a special date, Jake. I agree, you put a lot a thought into it and what they say is true 'it's the thought that counts.'" She finished up the last bit of her scone. Jacob didn't mean to make her sad but she was definitely not as happy as before. The disappointment weighed heavily on his mind. He had planned on asking her this weekend, but he'd canceled the reservations two days ago. He was telling her all about it instead of actually doing it which kinda sucked. Jacob walked Ace back to his play area. He kissed his cheek and negotiated a few minutes of quiet time with his mother.

Bella was tidying up the kitchen and Jacob moved in behind her. He rested his head on the top of her head as he rubbed up and down her shoulders. "You're right, Bells. We'll get back the normal times again soon. I'll make it happen."

She leaned into him. He'd made a huge mistake staying away from her. He already felt much better just by spending a few hours with her again. Jacob pushed her hair to one side and kissed under her ear. "I left out the best part. You want to hear how the date would end?"

"I thought I did, it ended with an epic goodnight kiss."

"Nope. I was planning on coming back once Ace went to sleep. I would climb up the tree and you'd let me in through the window, like old times."

Jacob kept his hands on her. He couldn't stop touching her or rubbing his nose across her sweet skin. "I'd probably step in behind you just like this and kiss you right here." He kissed her close to her mark and Bella's knees buckled slightly but Jacob had a firm grasp on her. "I think you can guess what would happen next and there would absolutely, without a doubt be no interruptions."

Bella wiggled her body against him and Jake groaned because he obviously aroused himself talking about all the what ifs. She turned around and faced him. He was happy to see her blush, he'd gotten to her. "You are way over-confident if you think I would've slept with you on the first date. I'm not that kind of girl, buddy." She playfully pushed a finger into his chest, but Jacob didn't budge, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the heck out of her. Bella got into it pretty quick.

When the two finally parted, he smugly stated. "I think you are that kind of girl with me, Bells. Don't deny it."

Bella turned around and asked him to have a seat. She lowered her voice. "Even though we're joking around, I need to tell you something serious."

"Okay, why are you whispering? No one is here but us."

"Well, it's about the other night... when we were, you know."

Of course, he knew exactly what she was referring to from the blush on her cheeks, but Jacob teased her a little, "No, I don't know. Why don't you make yourself a little clearer, Bells?"

Finally, she spit it out. Bella said she had a conversation with Sue and it turns out she needed to edit some information she'd given Jacob. "The exclusively breastfeeding thing isn't completely reliable for birth control, so I needed to clear that up. Sue recently took care of a mother having her second baby exactly one year apart from her first, so I guess I should've researched that a little more. Sue laughed at me."

"No worries, Bells. I got us covered. You're cute. Already a mom and still blushing about birth control and sex."

"I'm not a prude."

"I'm well aware of that," he winked.

She said he had no idea how open and free Renee had been about sex. Bella decided at a young age she was never going to embarrass her kids like her mother had embarrassed her. "I'm happy she is confident and comfortable with her sexuality and that she's proud of her vagina but it isn't a great topic of conversation to bring up during a young girl's first sleepover attempt. Needless to say it was my last also."

Jacob gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Crazy Renee did a number on her, it was a wonder she was as normal as she was. He reassured her again, he wouldn't be unprepared next time.

"Sure, I figured that would be your response. I really don't want to go on hormones right now even though there are options for breastfeeding mothers."

Bella stiffened a bit. Had he missed something? "Bells, honey, talk to me. Did I upset you with my teasing?"

"It's nothing. It makes no sense. I mean, I'm not making sense. Life is still so crazy and you're waiting for a divorce finalization and I'm a hunted woman and Ace is too young and... "

He put a finger over her lips to shut her up. "Do you want to try again?"

"No, of course not. That's crazy. I was just thinking how you missed everything before because neither of us had our heads on straight. It would be nice to do things the right way, share all of it together from the beginning, but we have a lifetime. I'm being weird."

He assured her she wasn't and maybe they should just see what happens, not try but not really prevent it either.

"You mean it?" She suddenly got excited again. He assured her he did, now they just needed to find a moment alone sometime. He still wanted to treat her special before they hopped back in the sack. Bella started bouncing up and down in front of him. "I just had a brilliant idea."

"What?"

"We're having this date, I'm going to make it happen and it's going to be tonight!"

"Honey, I want to but like you said, I don't feel comfortable leaving the reservation with you so soon. Even if we take several of the guys, I won't be able to relax."

"I know, that's why we're staying here. I have some planning to do and you really need a nap, so head into my room and actually go to sleep in a real bed. Trust me, I'm taking care of everything."

Bella talked too fast when she got excited. He told her to slow down. The date was something he'd planned to perfectly execute.

"Trust me, I've proven I can take the reigns. You've given me the idea, now I'm going to see it through. Don't worry, I won't leave the res and I'll take whomever is on patrol around with me while I do my preparations. Your job is to sleep." She kissed him quick and pointed to her room. Jacob had no idea what she had up her sleeve but he truly did need some real sleep. If they were somehow having a date tonight, he wanted to be wide awake for whatever she had planned.

* * *

Hours later, he woke up to Bella putting Ace in the crib next to the bed. "Hey, I hope you don't mind but I need to do the final planning without distractions. He should nap a couple of hours, so you don't have to get up yet." She told him there was a bottle in the fridge if he needed it. Jacob was still so out of it, he didn't even respond other than nodding and rolling back over. Sleeping on Bella's pillow had been the best rest he'd had in a week. Her scent enveloped him and gave him the comfort he needed to let all his worries evaporate.

He was still dozing off and on, but Ace didn't sleep a full two hours. Jacob had to get up and take care of him after only an hour or so. He warmed up his bottle and fed it to him. Once he realized his son was still tired, he decided to lie back down with him and take a nap with Ace on his chest. He'd never done that before and it was probably a dad's rite of passage. Jacob loved how his tiny son felt in his large hands. He finally let the words sink in that he had the contract and now he knew it was possible to make his family a home. He was getting the ball rolling Monday morning. The Realtor already had all the preliminary info from him. They were only awaiting some earnest money to start the contracts.

There would be countless opportunities for naps with his son, special dinners with Bella, actually sleeping with her every night, no more lost opportunities to make love with her whenever they felt like it. He could visualize their life and his future never looked better. Bella walked in on them. "Oh my gosh, that's precious. Hold still, close your eyes, Jake. I want a picture of you two. I'm so in love with this moment."

Bella captured their nap with her phone camera. She reminded him the guys were expecting him. He was having a brief meeting with them, but if he and Bella were going to have an evening to themselves, that meeting was going to be even more important. Everyone needed to be doing their jobs and they also better be able to handle all the responsibilities on their own. He was pretty curious what she lined up. The res wasn't known for fancy restaurants and he didn't much want to have picnic in the woods at the end of October. He was going to take whatever he could get. She seemed to have a plan and the overall secrecy was only getting him more and more excited.

Bella gave him a list of explicit instructions about the time and how to dress. They were going to make it classy. She left off the meeting place to preserve the mystery. A couple of the guys would direct him where to go when the exact time arrived.

He kissed her goodbye and told her he couldn't wait. The hours couldn't pass quick enough. She told him dinner had to be on the late side because she wanted to assure Ace would be going down for the night.

"Are you saying, you're leaving our son for the entire evening? I find that hard to believe."

"I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm not anxious about it, but Dad and Sue are here. Embry and Leah have gotten really good with him as well. They all have assured me he will be well taken care of. I think it's important Ace's parents have some quality alone time occasionally. Won't that makes us better parents?"

"I'm sure it will. Okay, you've got yourself a date. Give me a kiss, I've got to run, but I'm looking forward to seeing you this evening."

* * *

Jacob stepped out of his father's house. Lahote had done something right for a change. He made a specific request and Paul ran to town for him and got an arrangement of wildflowers just before the florist closed up for the day. They were lucky she had something on hand. He dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a v-neck gray sweater. Now he needed to find where in the hell Bella was. He stepped outside and was greeted by Embry and Quil. They both looked like they were about to burst with excitement.

"You both seem overly happy about my date with Bells?"

Embry clapped him on the back and said, "No, we're both thrilled you're finally going to get laid, then maybe you'll stop being such a hardass nonstop."

Jacob wasn't completely sure about the getting laid part, but even if he did, that would hardly make him ease up. He told them only Aro being exterminated would bring that change. Their faces fell some. "Okay, so where do I go?"

Quil pulled out a long strip of fabric. "First, we blindfold you and then we'll take you there."

Jake grabbed him by the arm. "Don't you dare. The first guy that tries to blindfold me is getting punched in the nuts."

"But, Bella said."

"Quil, I mean it. Don't."

"Fine, spoilsport." He promptly stuffed the blindfold in Jake's back pocket. "I bet if Bella wanted to blindfold you, you'd let her."

"Hmmm, let me think about that. You're not Bella and I would never do any of the things I want to do with her with the likes of you so there's no comparison. Tell me where to go and stop wasting my time before I'm late." They all knew their posts for the night. Embry and Leah would be with his son. Sam was Jacob and Bella's watch because he could trust him to hang back far enough not to disrupt their privacy but still be on guard. Brady had Canyon and Zane on patrol. Jared and Collin were doing some work with the other new pups, Lucas and Rory and Quil was supposed to steer clear of Zane for at least a five mile radius. He didn't want any distractions or else.

Embry spoke up, "Okay, I guess it's fine to tell you now. You know where Mr. Cameron owns that row of houses?"

"Yep."

"Go there. I forget the exact address, but as soon as you get there, you'll know which one she's in."

"Seriously, how'd she manage that?"

"Bella's tenacious and very resourceful. You're in for so many treats tonight, I'm jealous," Quil admitted.

He was about to get in his car but he told them thanks for everything and they assured him one more time, they had everything covered.

The rest was up to him and Bells and he was feeling pretty confident they were going have the perfect first date.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Before you all say, "What? Why are you stopping there?" I have news. There is 5,000 word chapter waiting to be released. I have worked hard recently to deliver these long chapters. If my loyal readers chime in on this update, I'm pretty sure we'll hit 1,000 reviews. I'm thanking you ahead because I never imagined I'd have that many reviews ever. My first story barely went over 300 and I jumped for joy.**_

 _ **I have one spoiler for you about the next chapter. This is not a drill, no teasing and no interruptions. I wouldn't do that to you again. Bella will show Jacob what kinda girl she is with him. ;)**_


	46. Chapter 46

_**~Thanks to everyone. Woohoo, more than 1,000 reviews.**_

 _ **I warned ya, this chapter is devoted to our couple. If you don't like to read this type of stuff, skip it, but then to anyone that does that, I say, "What'? Are you nuts?" LOL! There are two specific song recs. The first was recommended by jacobzlover several chapters back. It's "Red Light Special" by TLC. (Perfect for the a super sexy feel)**_

 _ **The second song is very important to me because it represents the transformation these two have gone through. I'm going to require you to think back to the beginning of the story when Jacob and Bella loved "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" because my favorite song choice for them now is a fairly unknown song by an Indie artist, Kina Grannis. It's called "Ours to Keep" and I highly encourage you to search it on YouTube or you can find the lyrics at (**_ ** _www .azlyrics lyrics/ kinagrannis/ ourstokeep. html ) minus the spaces._**

Chapter 46: Ours to Keep

He knocked. No doubt, he was at the right door. He could smell the food as well as his mate. Jacob honestly thought Jared's father always kept this row of four homes rented out, but obviously this one was empty for some reason.

She slowly opened the green front door. "Oh, I thought Quil and Embry were bringing you. Where's your blindfold?" He pulled it from his pocket and she snatched it from him. "Let me guess, you refused that part. It's part of the fun."

"No, the fun starts now, Bells." He pulled her hard against him with one arm and gave her a steamy greeting kiss. Bella looked shocked he got right to it and tried to regain her composure. He added, "Quil chose to keep his balls intact so he didn't attempt it." Jacob pushed the bouquet of wildflowers into her hands. "These are for you."

"Thank you, they're so beautiful. I love them. I need to put them in water, come in."

"For the record, I paid for them, no crimes were committed."

"Good thinking, can't have you getting pulled away tonight for flower thievery." She ruffled through a box on the counter and pulled out a mason jar. Bella filled it halfway with water and dropped the flowers inside. "I need to add them to our table, right this way, Sir."

She had this whole formal set-up going. Jacob was trying to take it all in, but he was kinda caught up in the way she looked before he got to the decor. Bella had on a beautiful, mostly black lace dress. There was a silky cream colored liner underneath which did nothing but remind him of skin. He couldn't stop imagining her naked the minute he looked at her. The dress had long sleeves that flared out at the end, it showed exactly the right amount of leg and was cut much lower in the front than any of her normal tops. She was rocking the bigger boobs and making his mind race exposing him to that much cleavage. He trailed his eyes down her whole body.

"What's on your feet?"

"Oh, Kim had these from her beach wedding. They're shoeless sandals. Heels would probably make my legs look better but I thought better not risk it. All we need is me to twist my ankle or something stupid. They're klutz-proof and I think they're kinda pretty."

"I think everything about you tonight is more than pretty Bells. You're a vision."

"Thank you," she stood high on her bare toes and kissed his cheek. "You look very handsome also."

His eyes wandered around the room. She had a real table and chairs set similar to the way a restaurant would with two formal place settings and linen napkins. There was a roaring fire in the corner on the opposite wall. He noticed a pile of comfy bedding in that area as well. Strings of twinkle lights illuminated the entire room along the edges of several walls. How the hell had Bella transformed an empty rent house into a fairy tale setting in just a few hours?

"Well, I'm dying to know what you think. Remember, I was rushed, but I'm happy with the overall effect."

"Are you kidding? This is amazing. I'm completely dumbfounded how you pulled this off. Seriously, you found us an empty house, decorated, plus cooked. I smell food." He knew she also had Ace with her the majority of the day. His girl was hands down amazeballs.

She admitted she had help from almost every single one of their friends and family. "Brit loaned me a table from the cafe, plus she packed that box of essentials of everything we might need for our dinner. I prepared the meal because that was extremely important to me, but she made a special dessert for us. The rest was a collaboration of everyone else. I told them to bring back any elements of romance they had on hand and then the girls helped me pull it altogether. Mr. Cameron was kind enough to let us have this place for a night, but in two days he has a new tenant moving in so I assured him we would keep it in pristine condition." She had a certain glint in her eyes when she made that comment.

Bella told him to have a seat that she was bringing out the first course. He needed to restrain the beast because he was chomping at the bit to pull Bella over to those blankets on the floor and make her the first course.

"First, we have a piping hot bowl of French onion soup topped with melted Gruyere. I have french bread from _Sweet Concoctions_ with herbed butter." Jacob was going to take it slow even though he was extremely hunger. He wanted to taste everything, but he wasn't going to overdo it, because she was on the top of his list tonight, not his physical hunger for food.

"Are you going to try and put me in a food coma or something, because I plan to stay wide awake for everything you have planned."

"Of course not, and remember how last week, you had ways to keep me awake? Trust me, I have some tricks up my sleeve. You'll be very alert come dessert time. I promise."

Jacob didn't mention that judging how tight his pants felt, he already was very alert.

Bella poured them both a glass of red wine. They clinked their glasses and Jacob toasted her. "To Bells, master of all surprises."

"To us, Jake."

He repeated, "Exactly, to us."

Just when he thought she couldn't top herself after that delicious soup, she brought out the main course. "My second attempt at beef bourguignon. I think it came out nice and I have roasted mini potatoes to go along with it. You owe a huge thanks to Brady. He took my shopping list and came back with every single item even though he texted me at least a hundred questions. I was impressed. Actually, I'm impressed with all of them. They all made some type of contribution. I think they really want to make us happy."

"I'm very happy, Bells. You make me happy. I'm sorry about this week."

"I know. We're good, getting better every second we spend together."

They took their time eating. He wanted to savor the delicious dinner Bella prepared for them. They talked about what was going on. He didn't want her to focus on the vamps but he did want her to feel safer that they'd done some major sweeps of the region and that the Cullen's had gone as far as Canada in search of any clues. All was calm on that front for now, but the pack wasn't letting their guard down. He asked how Ace was and Bella said she was happy to report the last text from Leah said he was sleeping sound. She hoped for all their sake's, it was for the night.

"Are you ready to see what Brit and Kim helped me rustle up for dessert?" She could be dessert and he'd be satisfied, but he knew she planned out all the steps so he told her of course, he wasn't one to turn down sweets.

Bella asked him to close his eyes. What was with everyone trying to put him in the dark tonight? "Okay, they're shut."

He sat there and waited while she clanged a few things around the kitchen. Finally, she came back to the table. "Tada." he opened his eyes. "It's a fondue spread. We have the chocolate in the middle then each bowl has something to dip. She had various items around the liquid chocolate like fruit and marshmallows with little silver skewers. For some reason, the dessert screamed sex to him, but maybe that was all his brain or his body could think about at the present time.

"This looks hot, Bells. I mean good."

"You haven't seen the best part. Brit caved and told me about your order so she made the cookies for me." Bella pulled out the sugar cookie hearts that were decorated like conversation hearts. That had been his idea for their date night even though it was far from Valentine's, Kim's sister agreed to make him a dozen of those cookies. He was prepared to dip one straight into the chocolate, but Bella made him stop.

"Wait you have to read them first."

He paused and started going through the various ones that were pink, purple, yellow and mint green. The first one he focused on said, **Eat Me**. He took a huge gulp of wine. He skimmed the others. Bella was giggling with her hand in front of her mouth. "These are all naughty, Bells."

"Too much?"

"No, very hot, like sizzling and making me have thoughts. I can't wait to act that out." He held up the green one which simply stated, **Fuck Me Hard.** "You seriously asked Kim's sister to write these messages?" He was shocked at how bold she'd become if that was the case.

"No, I asked if I could personalized them. No one else saw, they're for your eyes only. We've come a long way from **Be Mine** , I guess."

He grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. "I think the only thing that will make this sexy dessert better is if we feed it to each other."

They each tried several items dipped in chocolate. Of course, a few times he needed to help her clean up her mouth. They exchanged a few fondue kisses in between bites. Bella swore, she couldn't eat another bite. However, she did finish off her glass of wine before announcing they had made it to the second part of the evening.

"I'm going to the bathroom to change out of this dress."

"You are? I can help you with that." He ran his fingers down her back in search of her zipper, but she jumped off his lap.

"Nope, not yet. You stay put." Bella turned on some mood music in the background, but he was already in the mood the minute he stepped inside their dream date.

"You sure, isn't there something I should be doing?"

"Well, you could take off your sweater, because it's about to get a lot hotter in here, but nothing else. You have to trust me, Jake. I have the perfect plan."

He was already smoldering so he lifted his sweater off his body as soon as she disappeared down the hallway. He felt kinda stupid sitting there at the table wearing only his jeans. He also kicked off his boots and socks. Maybe he should meet her over at the makeshift bed region. Then he remembered she told him to stay and that she had a plan, so he better sit tight. The wait wasn't easy. Damn, he was ready to get his hands on her. He tried to imagine what she might be changing into. He would have been fine with her letting him take off that dress, but Jacob tried to be patient, definitely not his strong suit by any means.

She yelled out to close his eyes again.

He lied and said they were closed but this time he was peeking. Bella came out wearing a black lace bra and panty set that had the tiniest bit of pink silky ribbon in certain places. He was experiencing sensory overload. She had applied a mist of fragrance to her already succulent natural scent. She also accented her lips with dark red lipstick which was very different for her, but it worked. His dick twitched in his pants. He started to stand up fully prepared to shove her against the wall and kiss her senseless. It might be harder than he thought to keep this rent house in pristine condition.

"Nope, sit back down, Jacob Black. I told you I have this night planned out in great detail."

"Then you better be on the way over here with me. I'm not going to wait much longer to touch you, Bells. Why don't you meet me on those blankets?"

"Not yet." That was her new favorite phrase. How many times was she going to say that? Bella did her sexy walk for him across the living room. This time, she was perfect, she'd practiced. Jacob kept both eyes on her to closely watch every move she made. He should've taken the jeans off as well, he needed a little relief. He'd tried making adjustments but it wasn't good enough.

She finally made it to him so naturally he grabbed her. His hands rubbed all the way down her back. Those sexy black underwear barely covered her ass. As soon as he started to pull her into his lap again, she halted him.

"Wait, I have something very special planned for you."

"I can tell, let's get started."

"No, I need you to stay right there in that chair."

"Bells, I'm dying here. What's so important about me and this chair?"

She leaned over him. He thought she was going to kiss him but she whispered into his ear instead. "It's the only spot in here that I can tie you to."

She pushed off his shoulder and strutted off into the kitchen where she kept her box of necessities. Bella brought back a slick white nylon rope. She held the rope taut in front of his face. "I'm fully aware you can probably break out, but humor me and I will make it worth your while."

"Is this because of what I said the other night?"

She nodded. "It clearly turned you on so I thought, why not?"

"Listen, you in my lap always sends a clear signal to my manhood so you don't have to tie me up."

"I don't have to do any of this but I am. Okay, hands behind your back. Don't make me get rough with you." He thought it was all for show. What did Bella know about tying knots? He could probably get out of it in a matter of seconds. He humored her like she asked because she did a good job of making it sound so hot.

Jacob moved his arms around the back of the chair, sat back and enjoyed the view of Bella leaning over beside him. She took her time back there like she meant business. Once she was satisfied she'd tied him down, she stood back up. He gave his hands a slight jerk and dammit if he wasn't firmly secured. She did a good job. He wasn't getting out of the restraints easily. Bells stood in front of him almost straddling his right leg.

"Don't you wish you could touch me now?"

Jake pulled his hands harder. How the fuck did she tie a knot that tight? "Yes, you're making me crazy, honey."

"Good, that's the idea." She said she was going to be the one doing all the touching for now. She proceeded to run her hands up and down, all over her own body as she moved in rhythm with the music she'd chosen. She made the display more titillating than his wildest fantasy. She was putting on quite the show squeezing and rubbing her delicate fingers in all the places he wanted to touch with his hands.

Jacob growled, "You're so gorgeous. I think I need to be free to touch. I've sat here long enough like a good boy. Let me show you what a bad boy can do with your body."

She moved back around him, spun in a circle so he could get a good look at how the bra and panties hugged her curves again. Bella straddled his lap, he was ready for his hands to be freed and assumed that's exactly what she was doing. She wrapped her arms around him, leaned in to capture his mouth with her ruby lips. Bells pulled back and giggled, "You're wearing my lipstick." She mussed his hair first and then wiped his mouth with her thumb.

"Untie me, Bells or I'm busting free," he warned.

Bella waved her finger in his face, almost like she was scolding him. "Not so fast. I have one more surprise." The next thing he realized, she had that blindfold in her hands. Quil sent that on purpose. It was all part of Bella's plan. She wrapped it around his eyes, blocking out his perfect vision. She was back to whispering in his ear again. "How'd you like my lipstick on a different part of your body?"

The rest happened so fast, he didn't have time to react. She went to her knees. He knew because he heard it, felt her breath on his stomach. Bella carefully unzipped him and pulled out his extremely eager member. Was he dreaming? This was by far the best damn date he'd ever been on. He never expected the dinner to turn into this so soon. Bella was a virtual sex goddess all of the sudden. At first, he wanted to see, but then the thrill of not knowing what was to come was equally exciting. She started by first stroking his length, slow but then with increasing speed. With every pass she made, he groaned in approval.

When her mouth covered the head of his cock, Jake came close to losing it, more like to close to coming. He had some wild fantasies about Bells years ago, but she was taking those sexual musings of a teenage boy to the next level. First, she strutted around the room in the sexiest piece of silk and lace he'd ever seen, then she subdued him, tied him up, blindfolded his eyes and now she was sucking him like a pro. His mind only had about ten seconds left of cognitive ability, but it crossed his mind. Wait, Bells is a novice at all things sexual, not a pro or was she?

Too late, he lost where he was going with that. Her many hidden talents increased. Now she had her hands involved.

"Ungh, Bells... what the hell?" She paused. "Sorry, no, please keep going. Ahh... "

She tapped his side and tugged at his jeans. He lifted his hips and somehow she managed to get his jeans further down. As good as it was, he couldn't go another second without his hands on her or without being able to see this dream come true. Jacob tried not to be obvious but he'd gotten his thumbs around that knot and he started working it loose. Soon, the rope fell. He faked being tied to the chair a few minutes longer, probably because he was paralyzed by the pleasure her mouth gave.

He made his move when she took a breath. He snatched the blindfold off and grabbed both sides of head. "Hey, no fair, you broke free."

"Come here." She climbed onto his lap. He firmly grabbed her ass and she rocked her pelvis against him, then he took control of her mouth. Bella moaned into his lips. "Let's go to the bed."

"No, I'm not done."

"You're amazing baby. I'm fine, let me take care of you now."

She shook her head, "No, I want to finish what I started." She scooted back out of his lap and assume the position again. He knew it, watching would make it even better. Jake eased his fingers into her hair and applied gentle pressure to compliment her motions. His head fell back against the top of the chair. It was important to her to fulfill this gratifying act on him. He let go and accepted her offer. Once he completely relaxed and stopped trying to get free or move, the build-up soon followed. He wasn't going to tell her how to finish. She was a grown woman and could decided for herself, but he gave her a few cues that he was more than close. That spurred her own and Jacob watched in awe as his mate brought him to the edge of ecstasy. She was perfect as she milked him of every last drop he had to offer. Bella didn't stop there either. She swiped her tongue over every inch of his leftover erection, essentially wiping him clean. If she kept that up, it was going to restart in a matter of seconds. She stood up grinning. Self-assurance looked sexy as hell on Bella. She reached around him for a napkin and wiped her mouth. There was definitely no lipstick left.

"Well?"

Jacob jumped off his seat and pulled those pants off in record time. He had the hungry look now, and Bella squealed. She was about to get eaten up by the big bad wolf. She started to run but he caught her in front of the palet. He swooped her up in his arms and spun them around a few times. He dropped to his knees. She scrambled out of his reach, but he pulled her back by her ankles. "You're a naughty girl, Bells. I feel like giving you a spanking."

"Please do," she tempted.

He swatted her hard enough to make a noise but nothing that would be painful. They were only being playful. The second time his hand made contact with her pretty panties, he was much more reverent. "You're beautiful in this. He rubbed all over her, leaned in and kissed at the edge of waist. Jake ran his nose across the small of her back and she squirmed underneath him. He layered on the kisses, up and down her spine.

Bella's hand reached around in search of him. "Mmmm, Jake. You're so hot against my skin. I love how that feels."

His nimble fingers opened her bra, then hooked into her panties. As good as she looked to him in that getup, she was even better bared in front of him. Jacob was done ignoring his mark. He pulled her into his chest and latched onto the permanent spot he'd left on her shoulder. His hand came around to apex her of sex. She was ready, slick with arousal. His fingers slid easily into her while his thumb circled her clit.

He knew sucking on the sensitive mark while he worked her with is fingers would bring a release quick. He brought her close then pulled back and turned her around. He needed to see her. Jacob pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears on each side. He pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you. You are my entire life, the mother of my son, my greatest love, my soulmate, my imprint."

"Jake," she breathed his name. He wiped a stray tear off her cheek. "I love you too."

Jacob supported her back and slowly let her fall. He followed her down. She opened her legs wide for him. He kissed her mouth slow with a determined resolve. He wanted to take time to savor every second of how she melted into him. Bella's fingernails dug deeper into into his scalp. He moved his mouth away from her mouth briefly so he could kiss the tender skin on her neck. He reached in between them to align himself with her center. "You ready, honey?"

She nodded against his chest.

"No stops, I promise. This is our new beginning." They'd cheated themselves out of a fresh start for so long, but never again. He slid into her silky heat. Bella's legs surrounded him and she urged his movements. He was finally home. The week of misery and disappointment had been a challenge. He was more than ready to fulfill their lovemaking to completion. It was a good thing she helped him out at the table before. Now he could really focus on what it meant to express his love for her with his body. They weren't rushed or anxious and despite the intense hunger they had for each other, this was the first time, Jacob and Bella ever took the slow, unhurried route to their lovemaking. He'd promised her a lifetime of these moments so they relished each minute of it.

She pulled him tighter, he did the same to her. They were no longer two people, they were one unit, two souls sharing time and space. Their gentle slow way culminated in mutual pleasure before either was ready to let go. Bella never loosened her grip on him, she pleaded for Jacob to stay.

"I don't want to squish you, baby. Here, hold on." Jacob rolled and pulled her with him. She could lay on him forever and he'd never tire of it. Bella kept her head on his chest and he felt her tears wash over his skin. He smoothed down her hair and kissed the top of her head. "It's okay. I'm never leaving or letting you go. We fixed it. We righted everything."

"I know, these are all tears of joy. That was beautiful. Thank you."

He replied, "Thanks for being mine." They kept still and quiet for a long time, the fire was down to embers. He saw extra wood there and told her he could add to the fire or they could stay put and he'd warm her the rest of the night.

"I'm still not ready to let go."

Bella's breathing and heart rate slowed. "Just rest."

"I really want to check my phone one last time and then I will."

She pointed him to where she left it by her box of surprises. He jumped up, grabbed the phone and tossed a log in for good measure. He was back in her arms in less than a minute. She went through her phone, no new ones since Leah said Ace was asleep.

"You good? Can you really stay here all night with me and not worry?" He'd take her back if she wanted.

"No, he's fine. I need this time to focus solely on you."

Jacob couldn't fall asleep without asking. "Yeah, about that little display earlier?"

She giggled against his neck and reached up to kiss him on the mouth.

"Were you shocked?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Not too shabby, was I?"

"Are you kidding? That was the damned hottest thing I've ever had the pleasure of taking part in, but... "

"How did I know all that stuff?"

"Um, do I want to know the answer to this?"

"I think you should hear the truth. First off, Paul showed me how to tie a knot."

"Lahote, that crazy ass, I've should've known."

"But you got free."

"It was tough, honey. I wasn't sure I could at first."

"I think he and Rach are a bit kinky."

"Damn, Bells. Don't do that. Don't ruin our cuddle time making me think about my sister with that freak. He works at the marina. I bet it's a trick of his trade."

She laughed, "Okay, Paul ties up boats not Rachel."

He tickled her sides and told her to stop.

"So, what about the... you know?"

"Don't worry, it's not my in my normal repertoire which I don't have... I swear. There never was one actually. I'm a total newbie."

"Newbie, huh? Please tell me you did not ask Paul pointers about _that_?"

"Goodness, no but I did ask someone."

"Who?"

"Leah."

"Oh."

"It was so embarrassing, I couldn't get the words out. When she finally deciphered what I was talking about, she took my phone punched in something on Google and handed it back to and told me to watch a video. I only had to watch twice, guess I'm a quick learner."

"Bells, you are an A plus student on the honor roll."

They talked a little while longer. He could tell she was fading. It was amazing all she'd done in a short amount of time. They should sleep. He was hoping for one more round before they had to get back Ace.

* * *

Bella woke up first, she was tickling him with soft kisses up the middle of his stomach and chest. Jacob was briefly disoriented but she quickly aroused him. He lifted her all the way until she straddled his legs. He loved having her on top of him. It gave him the perfect view of everything. Bella eased herself onto his erection and started to move. Jacob held her hips to give her some extra help. She knew what to do there to drive him crazy. He swore her boobs were bigger every time he looked at them. When did he turn into such tit man? She did this to him. He reached up and gave them both a little squeeze.

Bella moaned his name. He was happy watching her ride him until she found her first orgasm. He decided he wanted to see her from a different vantage point. "Lift up and face the other way."

She hesitated but caught onto his request fairly quickly. He could stay that way for an indefinite amount of time. He loved how Bella's ass bounced up and down, and relished the sight his dick disappearing in and out of her tight channel. She braced herself on his knees and rocked in rhythm against his upward thrusting. They could do this all the time now and he smirked at the thought.

The playful sexy time started to shift. He felt a growing need well up inside him. Liquid heat pushed through his veins and the subtle urges of a beast began to overtake the man. They needed it to happen... Jacob and his wolf, but only if she said okay. He wouldn't take from her again.

He stopped her, held her still, "Bells, could I?" his incomplete request came out strained and gravelly sounding. Bella turned around, she climbed back up his torso and kiss him wildly.

She nipped him first on his neck, "Yes, do it."

The rest was more like an out of body experience. He felt everything of course, all the warmth and comfort from being inside her body, but it was almost like he could visualize the entire scene from another vantage point. Jacob had her on her hands and knees while he fiercely fucked her from behind. He always maintained a certain reverence for her. He took but he also gave and he never pushed too far. He knew what she could take. Bella even begged, "Harder, faster. I need you, Jake. I wanna cum again."

She wasn't afraid to tell him what she needed as they both drew closer to their release, he felt his jaw tighten, right along with his balls. He said it once more, "I love you." Then he clamped his jaw over his first mark and held on while Bells shuddered and tightened around his cock as it spilled his release deep into her womb. It took a second to come down from the powerful aftershocks of pleasure they reached together. He didn't know how they all felt it, but his pack was suddenly surrounded by a deep sense of tranquility. He felt them all for the first time telepathically when he was still human. She went limp in his arms and he pulled her down with him so he could spoon his body around hers. Jacob licked over his mark and kissed her gently once more.

"You okay?"

"Yes, now I'm forever yours."

He slightly chuckled before nuzzling against her neck. "Silly, Bells... you always were."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 ** _And they all lived happily ever after. I wish, but there's more to the story. LOL!_**

 ** _If you want a few tiny previews, keep reading._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _-Jacob and Bella are finally together for real, doesn't mean life will always be perfect._**

 ** _-Something is up with Jake's leg._**

 ** _-There have been suggestions Ace is special. Well he has two unique parents so the odds are in his favor. You'll have to wait and see just how special._**

 ** _-For some reason, readers keep bringing up Kaleigh. Ugh, if you insist... yes, she will make more appearances._**

 ** _-Also, I am trying something new that I've never done with Quil's character, but Monica is arriving soon. There are a few interesting twists._**

 ** _-Lastly...BOOM!_**


	47. Chapter 47

_**~Hey, sorry, it's been a few days. I arrive at certain crescendos and need to take a break sometimes. I thought I was going to write a quick chapter, but again we have a fairly long one. This one explains a few things but also contains some mysteries.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 47: Invisible Forces

No matter how hard Bella twisted, pulled and tugged, she couldn't get free. "Jake, let go."

He growled behind her ear, "Never."

"Please, it's an emergency."

That fully roused him and he loosened his grip, "What do you mean, emergency?"

"I have to pee."

He laughed, "I'd hardly call that an emergency, Bells. Don't cry wolf with a wolf." He squeezed her again so her back was flush with his chest.

"Well here's some news you probably aren't aware of but after a woman gives birth, things change and I'm not kidding, I really need you to let me go."

He released her with the veiled threat she was about to wet their cozy love nest on the floor.

Jacob was waiting outside the bathroom for his turn when she exited. He was already acting ornery and it wasn't even daylight. She gave him a little push and told him to quit being annoying. Bella was cold without the fire, Jacob's warm body and the fact that she was buck naked made it even worse. She climbed back under the covers and attempted to take away the chill. He strolled back in the room soon after. She knew what he was thinking, always the showoff.

He jerked the quilt back and started trying to cop a feel immediately. "Stop, we can't."

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and put her hand over his erection. "I most certainly can. I'm ready and able."

"I'm sorry but do you not see these things?"

"Um, yeah. I was just playing with them. Nice. I think they grow by the hour."

"No, not exactly. I'm full. I want to go back to Sue's and be there when our son wakes up so I can feed him. Besides, I miss him like crazy. Don't you?"

He rolled onto his back and groaned a little. "Yeah, of course I do. It's barely six in the morning. You really don't think we have a few more minutes? I was hopeful for a little more loving."

"No, you have to wait until tonight after he falls asleep like all the other dads of the world. Welcome to normalcy." She wrapped herself in the covers and went to search for some regular clothes.

Jacob said he'd take care of the entire clean up at the rent house later that day because she had outdone herself pulling that date night off. He promised it would go down in history as the greatest first date ever and she agreed.

* * *

Bella got to her son just as Sue was changing him after a long, goodnight's sleep. She was thrilled he cooperated for everyone involved. She enjoyed her time alone with him for his feeding and then joined the family at the table for a big breakfast. It was a little awkward for her since every single one of them knew she'd been up half the night having sex. She needed to grow up. She'd already stepped outside her comfort zone asking for so many favors prepping for their date which included too many personal explanations. Quil couldn't contain himself after she informed him the blindfold had to make it to the house with Jake and wondered if he'd ever look at her again without that stupid grin. They were all pretty great in her time of need. Something changed overnight and she wasn't only thinking about the secure bond she and Jacob made together. Bella wasn't sure what it was, but there was new sense of tranquility surrounding them. She hoped it lasted for good.

Jacob couldn't stay too long after breakfast, he had patrol and he also had to clean up from their night. He didn't want anyone else going in there for obvious reasons. She thanked him for that and he promised never to slip her special tactics into his thoughts or she would be mortified. He assured her that was for his eyes only. She enticed him by telling him in private, his concealment ensured a repeat in the near future. He grumbled she was making it extremely difficult to leave her. Bella had work to do so she agreed it was best he was out of sight so they wouldn't stay so distracted.

She was so crazy happy. What a difference it was compared to the first morning after she experienced with him. Billy had given her a folder with some ideas the council had been knocking around. She was growing more excited about how they would get started on the cultural center. It helped a great deal that Collin was going to be more hands on with his proposed facility. She was definitely still on his team, but he knew way more about the healing and treatment realm than she did. The arts, culture and history of the tribe was her strong suit. She loved that she and Atticus were home on the reservation and now Jake was about to acquire their permanent residence. She waited anxiously for him to contact her later that afternoon if the offer was going to go through.

Bella got a message soon after putting the baby down for a nap. Carlisle had his afternoon evening free. They were going to all meet at the hospital since he was back on staff. He told her he'd see Renee as well if she'd go. Bella called and talked to Billy first. He thought he had her mother convinced to give Carlisle a rundown of her medical history but she wanted him around. Billy asked if she and Jake minded if he also tagged along. Bella fielded a few questions about how safe Carlisle was and could he be trusted. She didn't want to tempt him into biting her which Bella actually laughed out loud about. Renee was a little nervous now that she new the truth. She assured her Jake would never haul them all into Carlisle's office if he had any sort of distrust for him, but the trip into Forks was going to be a heavily guarded mission.

* * *

Carlisle got right to the bad stuff. He wanted a few vials of Bella's blood. Renee and Billy had Ace in the stroller outside on the hospital's terrace area. Jacob was cautious about having him in enclosed spaces with any of the Cullens. They had plenty of watchful eyes on him, but she still didn't want to be away from him too long. The quicker she got the blood test over with, the better.

Jacob pointed her face towards him, "Look at me, Bells. Don't think about it." He advised her to breath with him. She had to learn to deal with getting stuck while she was pregnant but still hated it with a passion. Being with Jake was helping her nerves some. She barely felt the needle, but her mother barged in pushing the baby and Bella jumped. Now it was hurting. "Mom, we said to wait outside."

Jacob looked concerned and wanted to know what was wrong.

"Nothing big, he was getting cranky. I thought I'd stave off a fit by letting him see his parents."

"Hmm, that's puzzling."

"What, Carlisle?"

"I'm very sorry, Bella, but this vein stopped. I need more blood. I'm afraid I need to try on the other arm." Carlisle gently removed the needle. She was normally a good bleeder. How bad did it suck that she was getting stuck in the other arm? Before he got started, she rolled her eyes at Jake and pointed her head towards her mother. He needed to take care of Ace and her mother, obviously.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I can do this. It's no biggie. I've birthed a baby before, it's a tiny blood test... for the second time, but I'll live." The next time was successful. Carlisle said he'd get them results by the next day. He escorted Bella outside and they all had a seat at a long table. She was surprised to see Edward had joined the party. He and Jacob seemed to be acting civil which was a relief.

Edward smiled when he saw her but his face quickly fell and he crinkled his nose. He then glared at Jake who leaned back with a cocky grin. He was enjoying rubbing the truth in Edward's face. She guessed he was not excited thinking about how close she and Jake had gotten. If he was going to be around, he'd have to accept the change in her scent and deal with it.

Carlisle gave them a little run down and what he was looking for in Bella's blood sample. He admitted to studying Jake's blood years ago. That was news to all of them and Jacob wasn't too happy that he'd stolen a sample when he was incapacitated after the newborn battle. He quickly got over it. Any knowledge gained might be useful to the pack one day.

Jacob changed the subject abruptly. "That's in the past, I suppose, but now we would like some answers. Why is Bella so special to Aro? He spent ten minutes with her and hasn't let it go for a decade. That can't be normal." Bella didn't miss the exchanged glares between Jacob and Edward.

Edward spoke for Carlisle. "The theory arose all those years ago, but we were quick to dismiss it. I believe it was Jasper that questioned Alice as she recounted the story about our experience in Volterra. As Bella witnessed and you all know about myself, Alice and Jasper, some immortals possess strong powers beyond the normal attributes we all share. Aro boasts of all sorts in his coven. That's why he's the leader. He wasn't always and there are other groups that would love to overthrow him and might be formidable opponents. Carlisle thinks this is why he desires Bella. Some powers are unbelievably rare. She is the key to him protecting his hold or his reign so to speak."

"What is the damn theory, bloodsucker? You're speaking in riddles and Bella is human. How could she be the key?"

Carlisle broke in, "A shield. Bella shields. It's unheard of, practically impossible for a human to override an immortal's will over her, but she does so effortlessly. We didn't see it at first, but the longer I've studied this matter, that's the conclusion we've all drawn. She can block out anything she chooses to. That's why Edward never could hear her thoughts. She shielded herself against Aro's direct touch and that has never happened in all his existence. Of course, he became obsessed. He will do anything to acquire her as a member of his guard. I'm sure he thinks she will be twice as powerful if he turns her. No doubt, that is his ultimate goal."

Jacob's grip tightened around her waist. Bella looked at him, he leaned over and pressed his forehead against hers. He whispered, "Never, as long I live and breathe."

She squeezed his hand. Bella still had the highest trust in her mate and their pack, but the story certainly did sound terrifying. She felt the need to deny what she didn't fully comprehend.

"I'm not doing anything. How does that make me powerful?"

"That makes it all the more intriguing to Aro. Imagine what you can do when you learn to exercise control over your shield, Bella?"

"I... I can't. I wouldn't even know where to start."

Edward looked at Jacob again. "What?" He responded with great annoyance.

"She already has done it... at least once."

Bella was confused. When had she controlled this invisible shield she didn't even fully comprehend? Billy spoke up. "All the other wolves imprinted the first time they saw their intended, not the two of you. Jacob was very confused when it happened between the two of you after weeks together, perhaps so much, he made the wrong choices at the time. That was it, wasn't it? She was always meant to imprint with my son, but unlike all the rest, only she could decided when it would happen."

Carlisle and Edward confirmed that was also their belief, that her shield didn't only affect those in their world, it was all encompassing to anything supernatural. She felt like they all expected her to start controlling her shield with that revelation, but nothing happened. She tried to say something to Edward in her thoughts while opening her mind with an open invitation. Nothing changed. He was busy answering questions from Billy, Jake and Renee. She concentrated harder until her head hurt. How many times had she practically begged herself as a teenage girl to let Edward see something from her? Nothing ever worked.

The night the imprint happened had replayed through her mind so many times after learning the truth. If she was completely honest with herself, she wasn't trying anything different at all, she was just being herself with Jake.

It was no use, they were mistaken. She almost wished Jake would let her contact Aro so she could try and convince him, he was wrong too. _I'm not special, I'm not a shield. It sounds made up._ Atticus babbled loudly at her. He was banging his fists on the tray of the stroller like he was trying to gain her attention. She grabbed his hand, he tried to chew her finger. He was getting hungry. She stared into his eyes and saw the promise of their future. She needed to figure this out for his sake. She was about to pick him up and whisper her promise out loud to him.

Edward shouted. "I heard that!"

The whole group was astonished, "What?"

"'I'll do it for you.' That's what you were going to say to your son."

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She tried something else, but he shook his head side to side. "No, nothing else, just that one phrase. I can't believe after all this time... "

Carlisle patted her on the shoulder, "Bella, don't exert yourself. It's a true breakthrough and further proof we're right. My latest inquiry tells me Aro has a distraction with the Romanians again and that will be to our advantage. He will tend to that before anything else. That gives up some breathing room to learn more and focus on your strengths. Okay then, who wants to go next, Renee or Jacob?"

Bella knew her mother had a checkup, but she had no idea why he mentioned Jacob. When she looked at him, he was doing some sort of strange head shake. "What's going on?"

Edward chuckled.

Bella asked Jacob directly, "Why are _you_ seeing Carlisle?"

"I guess it slipped his mind that he almost died in the woods, but Rose saved him. Don't you and the dog communicate, Bella?"

She knew he had a leg injury which he'd blown off from the start, but that was over a week ago. None of the other guys or even Leah had any lasting remnants of an injury. Jacob shouldn't need to see a doctor but apparently she was in the dark about something. Edward was the one enjoying himself now.

Bella took Jacob's hand, "Died? What's he talking about Jake? You said you were healed a few hours later, but then I guess I've noticed you flinching every once in a while."

"I didn't want you to worry. We had so much other stuff to worry about. I should tell you a little more of the details."

"I assume so," she quipped.

Jacob started talking about Collin and Canyon first having encounters with vampires which sparked the warning howls. There was a lot of confusion with more of Aro's agents dropping in as the pack descended on the standoff. Then the young ones started phasing and Jacob said their minds were inundated with pain, suffering and confusion. She had heard bits and pieces over the week listening in on conversations, mainly Leah and Embry told her things. The way Jacob described it, the vamps were playing a game. Lots of taunting, sparring, and crazy tactics, but they were toying with them, perhaps sizing them up while they tired them out, at least, until the Cullens arrived. Jasper made the first kill and then the fight got serious.

Edward broke in, "They were there for one important reason, to kill the alpha. I read them. It then became a process of taking them down as quick as possible because they were all turning on Jacob."

Jacob told Edward that was enough that he didn't need his commentary. Bella wanted to hear more but then again, she didn't. She knew he'd be a target, but hearing the proof made that fact so much worse to digest.

"I don't know, Bells. It was all a blur towards the end. I was running and a sharp pain jolted my whole body. Two grabbed me from the sides and one felt like he was ripping my leg apart. Then wolves and vamps, good and bad were in some type of giant free-for-all. I needed to get back in the fight, but couldn't get my leg to cooperate and then I faded out."

Edward said they finished off the last ones. The forest floor was filled with wolf blood and Jacob was the largest contributor.

Carlisle interrupted. "The first task was stopping the bleeding. He had a nick to his femoral artery. There was no time to waste. His body would start healing quickly, but the amount of blood loss had to be slowed. I wanted to take my time with his treatment, there was significant damage to the surrounding tissue but Jacob was most concerned with his pack, especially Leah who we discovered unresponsive under a tree. I hurried. Under normal circumstances, an injury like his would be performed in an OR because it's an intricate procedure to repair a vital artery." Carlisle addressed Jacob, "How much is the injury still bothering you?"

Jake hesitated from answering.

Bella stopped them all from talking. "Jake, could you walk with me for a minute?" She didn't want the intrusion of all those eyes on them. Judging Billy's reactions, he also had no idea.

They stepped back inside the hospital and leaned against a blank wall. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I told you, I didn't want you to worry. You see that I'm fine now."

"Yes, so much so you've asked Carlisle to examine you. That must be at the top of your fun things to do list. What's really going on? If you're willingly going to let Carlisle take a look at you and he says you're complaining of it bothering you, then you can't be fine." Of course, the night before had her very distracted, but once, maybe she did remember grazing an area on his leg that felt strange. "I wanna see it."

"You want me to drop my pants right here in the hall? I thought my lady would be a little more stingy about exposing her man to the world."

"This isn't funny, Jake. I'm worried about you with good reason. Why haven't you healed?"

He tried to placate her some, by pulling her closer and giving her a soft kiss on her lips. "I was naked with you all night and performed 100% if memory serves me right. You're starting to freak out. See, that's why I didn't want to make a big deal. You're getting all worked up for nothing."

"Yeah, well sex is not as demanding as all your other duties, so I'm thinking the injury didn't come into play. I'm serious. I haven't known you to be setback in any fashion since you phased as a teenager. You recovered from half your bones being crushed in record time. Why is this such a big deal? Leah practically had her head cracked open and had no lasting effects by the next day."

He told her, it was true he did have a scar that was fading like it should, but now was getting worse again. He went back and forth with the cut seeming entirely healed to not exactly and causing him significant pain. When he phased was the worst and that's why Carlisle wanted to do some more tests. "He thinks the bone might have been involved. When I phase, I go through a transformation, basically all my interior makeup alters. That is aggravating my leg and we don't have any idea why. I know one thing, I hate distraction, can't afford it in the least. The sooner this resolves itself, the better. I can't be slowed down or weakened. I practically demand perfection from the others so it's starting to piss me off. You're right, I don't want to go in an enclosed space and let Dr. Fang poke, prod and feel me up, but what choice do I have?"

She made him look her in the eyes and swear he'd tell her every single detail, no more holding back info so she wouldn't worry. She asked if he minded if Renee saw Carlisle first. Atticus was getting tired. They could head back with the Paul and Sam and Jacob could have his tests done.

* * *

Jacob briefly excused himself to meet up with the guys on watch. They had been there a long time and he knew the baby was getting tired of it. He wanted to make sure the coast was clear for them to return to La Push.

Bella took Atticus out of his stroller and entertained him. Edward inched his way closer. Billy looked like he was about to say something but she mouthed it was fine.

"What Edward? Don't even attempt to gloat that you know anything about Jake that I don't. He and I discussed everything earlier."

"I wouldn't dream of it. That is not my way."

She frowned. Really? Bella wasn't so sure what her ex's way was anymore. "Did you need to say something else? Jacob doesn't want you so close to our son and you know it."

He made an exaggerated sigh. She knew the noise was all an act, one of the many things the Cullens practiced to humanize themselves. It was pointless to put on such displays with her, but he still did. "I'll be brief. You looked exhausted. Doesn't he let you sleep or are you required to stay up all hours of the night satisfying his carnal urges?"

"How do you know it's not the other way around, that I keep him up, satisfying mine?"

Edward's face took on a pained expression and Bella heard Billy snickering from the other side of the porch. She couldn't help herself, he was getting on her nerves as usual even though she had that exciting breakthrough with him minutes before.

"Fine, I'm sorry that I only make you aggravated now, but I did want you to know one thing. I concede."

He reached for her hand and Bella didn't jerk it away. "I apologize for being snippy. I don't mean to act unappreciative. I meant to thank you for going to their aide with one simple word from me. Jacob told me how much you helped. I want to put the past to rest, Edward and move forward. I hope that's what you mean too."

He said he knew she was where she was supposed to be. They finally started a less hostile dialogue. Edward and the Cullens were probably going to be a part of her life for years to come. If he was willing to stop throwing barbs at Jacob and her choices, then she could be mature enough to treat him like the rest of his family. Bella made peace with him, it seemed.

"I'm never going to get used that smell."

"Edward."

"Fine, you're still lovely, inspirational and strong, maybe no longer mine but you'll always be _my Bella_ in my thoughts." He pulled her hand to his icy lips and placed one chilled kiss to the top. She eased her hand away and back to support Atticus. She would tell Jacob later about their discussion but he didn't need to come back and find her looking intimate with Edward. He'd lose his temper and ask questions later. "We won't let you down. I need you to believe that. Aro has talent, but we have plenty of our own assets. As Carlisle stated previously, you too are quite extraordinarily. We just need to figure out how to utilize your power to work in our favor. I think you are on the brink of a breakthrough after what just occurred."

She thanked him for his confidence. He shook her with his next remark.

"And of course, there's the matter of this one." He held his hand up and Atticus mimicked him, but the two never actually touched.

Bella felt a surge of protectiveness overwhelm her. She lifted her son on her shoulder to turn him away from Edward. "He's just a baby."

"Yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Later, we have time to look into it further. In fact, while I'm here at the hospital, I'm about to test one new theory. I'll be in touch."

* * *

Jacob and Renee returned simultaneously. Jacob eyed Edward carefully as he made an excuse for his departure. Carlisle questioned if Jacob was ready, so he kissed Bella goodbye and told her he'd see her in time for dinner.

Renee seemed in a chipper mood upon leaving Carlisle's office. She quickly forgot his supernatural status even though earlier it worried her greatly. "That man is a charmer and so handsome to boot. Too bad he's taken."

"How about, too bad he's a vampire."

"Well, it didn't seem to bother you when you were all Team Edward, dear."

Bella stuck her tongue out. "Touché I was an idiot. Well, are you going to see a specialist? Did he suggest any new medications? I have had enough of Jacob holding out on me, tell me the truth, Mom."

"Chill. I'm getting to it. I told him how my organic, whole foods diet seemed to be doing the trick. You have to admit, I've been a lot better since our night out at the diner. Isn't that so, Ace? Tell your mother, her mom knows best too sometimes." Atticus gurgled like he was bubbling over with laughter. He loved all his grandparents so much.

That might be true, but Bella still wanted her mother under the care of a competent physician. She finally answered. "He believes my positive energy is helping but he also had great things to say about a new neurologist in the area. He thinks he can expedite an appointment with him. There's generally a waiting list."

Bella felt relieved to hear that news at least. She rode home with Renee and Atticus with Sam driving them. Paul was taking Billy home. Several wolves followed along through the woods. The whole way back, her thoughts were with Jake. He couldn't hide it from her. He was extremely agitated and concerned about his injury. Bella was a bit frustrated that he kept it to himself, but also that for every good thing they experienced, one bad thing always seemed to follow. She hoped it wouldn't be the norm too much longer because Bella was really looking forward to starting their new life together.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Be gentle. I struggle with any chapters that include Edward. LOL! I hope I was able to create some visuals in your minds. I especially liked writing Edward's attempt at interacting with Ace. Very cathartic to have him be the one on the outside looking in at her family with Jacob.**_


	48. Chapter 48

_**~A/N Many apologies for taking so long. Thanks to teamjacob0729 for keeping tabs on how many days it's been. LOL!**_

 _ **Jacobzlover came through with another song rec, Zayn's "Pillowtalk" fits well with these two.**_

Chapter 48: Pillow Talk

Bella buried her face into Jake's neck to stifle her noises. Why couldn't she be quieter? He thought it was funny she was so vocal. He pumped the final remnants of his release into her as she was slowly coming down from the peak of ecstasy he'd brought her to.

"You do that on purpose," she fussed.

Jacob was still buried deep inside her. "What, fuck you senseless? Yeah, that's the goal, honey."

She rubbed her foot up the back of his good leg. She was seriously worried about bothering the other one after what they learned earlier. In fact, she originally tried to suppress his advances after Ace went to sleep. Bella was concerned they were going to do more damage. Jacob finally convinced her if all the phasing, walking around and what they'd done the night before didn't do so, then they were completely safe for a round of rowdy sex.

"Not too rowdy."

"Whatever you say, Bells." They quickly got carried away after that. Now she was trying to think straight again.

"No, I mean you purposely make me loud. Embry and Leah will hear but I certainly don't want my dad exposed to such things."

Charlie's snoring. He didn't hear and serves Emb and Leah right. I've been dealing with their liaisons for weeks. Don't be embarrassed. You're hot. You won't have to hold back much longer either. We should know something about my offer by the end of this week. I can get the cabin ready in a few weeks. I promise by the end of the month, we'll have our own place."

That was the best news they'd had in a long time. Bella wanted to go on the tour of the property but wasn't sure when she could now that they had this pressing urgency to get Jacob's leg healed. He finally rolled off of her.

"Love you, honey. Goodnight."

"Not so fast, mister. I'm not through with you just yet."

Jake growled. "Oh baby, okay. I figured you were exhausted." He tried to pull her hand down lower so she could get him revved back up as he put it.

Bella fake punched him in the gut instead. "Not that. You know what I want. I want to have a discussion."

"No, please, not that, anything but that, Bells. It's been a long fucking day."

"Too bad. Were talking. I want to figure this out tonight or I'm not going to rest."

"Dammit. I'm a man, I don't want to talk after mind blowing sex. It's just wrong."

"Shut up and be serious. When are you going to have the surgery?"

It turned out the x-ray spotted something. The reason Carlisle believed he wasn't healing properly was because a foreign object was trapped in Jacob's femur. The problem was he had absolutely no idea what it was or how it got there. There was only one way to help Jacob in his medical opinion and that was an exploratory surgery and an attempt to remove that object. It would be a tricky procedure with a shifter like Jake and it wasn't like Carlisle could request another doctor to assist like he really wished he could do. Of course, Jake was being stubborn and apprehensive.

He wanted the object out but there was one huge disagreement. He wanted Carlisle to numb him up and take it out, but Carlisle said general anesthesia was the only way he'd attempt an operation like that. He couldn't afford even the slightest movement from Jake.

"I know this is Dr. Fang and in theory we trust him, but no damn way I'm I going under the knife unconscious at the mercy of a bloodsucker. My wolf will explode out on the operating table. I won't have any control. Not going to happen, Bells. So if that's what you wanted to discuss, that's my final answer. Case closed."

"You are a stubborn ass. I called Carlisle. He told me everything. It's the only way. What's the alternative, Jake? You're going to leave that thing inside you forever? I thought you said distractions wouldn't be tolerated. I know for a fact, you can't stand thinking you're not 100%."

"I didn't tell him he couldn't take it out. Of course, I want him to get rid of the damn thing. I'm just not letting him put me to sleep."

Bella was done arguing with him, it was late and she was putting an end to the debate once and for all. Jacob had no qualms about making ultimatums, it was time she make one of her on.

"The surgery is tomorrow night. Now it's case closed. I'm not accepting any other answer."

He wanted to know what the hell she meant by tomorrow. There was still lots to discuss with the pack. He had to weigh the risks. Bella had gone over his head. She made the arrangements. Embry would assume responsibility for the pack while Jacob was in surgery and during his recovering period.

"Oh, like I'm the President and he's my VP? Dammit, woman. It doesn't work that way."

"Yes it does, you're making it more complicated than you have to."

"The unknown is more complicated than you think." Bella understood that he was scared and that he hated admitting that. "What if something gets even more fucked up in there?"

"It won't. I have faith and you should too."

"The anesthesia is not a good idea."

"That's why Paul's scrubbing in as an observer. He's the most distrustful of the Cullens, so he is the one I'm trusting as your patient advocate. Plus, he claims to have an iron stomach and assured me he won't get sick at the sight of your insides. Rose is assisting and Sue will be on stand by. Carlisle has the facility reserved. He has a unique arrangement with the owner of a surgery center in Port Angeles."

"You mean he paid someone off?" She rolled her eyes at the excuses.

Jacob, especially, wasn't keen on Rose being involved, but Bella knew she'd been the only other Cullen to take an interest in medicine. She hadn't actually completed medical school but she easily could. She studied it in her spare time which was frequent as a vampire.

"Quit worrying about Rose. I heard how she came to your rescue. You should be thanking her, not avoiding her."

"She had her filthy claws wrapped all the way around my leg, inside my flesh and I'm certain she took a gander at what a real man looks like as well. She fucking weirds me out even more now."

Bella had inspected the scar closely earlier. It wrapped around the upper part of his thigh and trailed all the way down to the back of his knee.

She teased Jacob about his modesty with Rosalie. "Rose said she only thought your body odor was disgusting, your blood repulsed her ten times more. That's why she was so quick to react. She wanted to stop the pungent odor from invading her senses. You disgust her. She added, no offense."

"Plenty taken. What a sassy bitch. I can't stand her."

He still wasn't convinced and wanted to think about it a little while longer.

"No, you're doing this."

"Is that so? You're pretty presumptive to make plans about my health without consulting me."

Bella knew if the situation was reversed, he'd do the same and she told him that. "Either we're equals or we're not, Jake. There's no in between. I'm ready to pledge my whole life to you: mind, body and soul. You have to trust me as much as I trust you or we won't work."

"Honey, there's no possible way we don't work anymore and of course, we're partners."

"Good, because I can't be with you like I promised if you don't mean that. I'll stay close to raise our son and help with our pack, but I won't move in with you. I can't live that sort of life again. I won't feel like I'm second best."

"You're not any such thing." He held her tighter. "You know what we just did, how we are. You can't seriously suggest you'd give that up? You're bluffing."

Bella replied with a weak, "No, I'm not. I mean it."

He reassured her again that she was his partner in everything. "Fine, I'll do it. I'm not sure about the rush or the anesthesia, but I'm willing to take a chance to prove how much I respect your opinions. I have to get better and there's no way I'm giving up sex ever again. That's literally hitting below the belt, Bells."

She was so relieved. Maybe, she'd done a little manipulating, but Bella felt that strongly about the surgery. She had an overwhelming sense of dread as soon as Carlisle spoke to her. He told Jacob there was always the possibility it was a piece of debris from the struggle, but he was leaning towards something far more deliberate. If that was the case, Jacob's very life could be a stake.

She was quiet again. Every single one of her emotions had been triggered to the max over the past 24 hours.

"Hey, before you fall asleep, make me a promise since I made you one."

"Sure, partner. What is it?"

"Marry me, Bells."

"But, the divorce... "

"Is about to go through." He told her he was ready to give into all of Kaleigh's ridiculous financial demands. He was supposed to have the sign-on bonus any day and he was working on a proposal for Ashley to be partners since she didn't know what the hell she was doing without him.

"We won't be millionaires, but we'll be comfortable."

"It's not fair if you end up paying her a bunch of money. Her family's loaded."

He didn't care about fairness any longer. The only thing that bugged him was getting his share out of the house because that's where he'd invested his time and money.

"So, ignore the fact that Kay exists for now. Tell me you'll marry me. I'll give you the wedding you always wanted the day after this divorce is final."

Neither Bella or Jacob had any input on their weddings the first go around. Bella had already pictured something sweet and intimate with their immediate family and friends. She'd been looking at engagement rings in secret, as far back as when the first notes arrived in the mornings. She bookmarked a page with the one she wanted, but he didn't know about that just yet. Years were spent with little hope of a future and it felt so good to dream again.

"Come on, I want to know that's what's to come in our future when I let Dr. Fang start sawing on me tomorrow."

Bella swung her leg over him and spread her body over his. He kissed her breath away. "Yes, I'm yours and I'll marry you."

He said he might be out of commission a few days after the surgery. She knew what he was hinting at. She was in complete agreement for one more round of lovemaking. The night deserved to be commemorated. He said her orders wouldn't work on him, but she thought he was wrong. She worked that man like putty in her hands.

* * *

Quil draped his arm over Bella's shoulder. "Get some rest, the doctor said it might take some time."

She didn't know how she could sleep. Atticus was with her parents. They left soon after he went to bed for the night. Most of the pack was around the surgery center except for those on patrol. Bella could use a distraction from her worries, so she decided to ask Quil how he was doing.

"How are you, Quil? The real answer, please. Like you said, it might be half the night."

"I don't know. It's not easy. Change sucks, especially now."

Bella told him she and Jacob had an idea and they'd already discussed it with the others. "We think, you, Claire and Zane need to sit down with Emily, Sam and Leah. They all agreed. Jacob and I will also be there."

"What's that supposed to do?"

"It's supposed to give the three of you insight into two different imprinting situations. We've always said, yours and Claire's was different but when you think about it, they all are uniquely different. Besides, I know from talking with Emily and Kim, Claire learned about imprinting as much as she was capable of understanding as a child."

"Yes, we told her she needed a big brother, a special protector and the spirits appointed me for the job."

"Right and that was true at the time, and it might forever be that way, but it's time to be completely honest and tell her that it might also evolve. She's very mature and she needs to hear it from you. Zane needs to know these facts as well. They're very young and not deep into this relationship. It might be best for all those involved if they agree to friendship only."

"I can't tell her that."

"No, maybe not, but I can. I bet Emily and Leah would back me up."

Quil said he'd think about it. He was still very conflicted. He told Bella he always expected to have this worry about Claire and boys when she was sixteen not when she was barely fourteen which was fast approaching.

Bella asked him tough questions.

"Okay, so it happened early. What had you planned on doing?"

"I don't know for sure. I guess act all protective big brother and say, you better treat her with respect. Never hurt her or I'll hurt you."

"That's a normal response. You could still say that to Zane if they plan to continue a relationship."

"Yeah, I guess I could, but... "

"But, what?"

"That's not what I want to say anymore. It's only the start."

"Oh, well, then what do you really want to say?"

"I respect you too much to repeat it, but Jake knows and that's why he keeps the punk and I separated."

Quil started out comforting Bella, but she pulled him over, put a cushion in her lap and let him rest his head there. She combed his curls with her fingers. He said his mom used to do that to help him fall asleep when he used to be scared of storms.

Poor Quil, Bella was happy to take care of him. He might be a big, bad wolf no longer afraid of thunder and lightning, but there were other types of storms. Alone, she knew they all had many fears to overcome, but together, they were so much stronger.

* * *

Paul and Rose came out together. Everyone in the waiting room jumped up.

"How's Jake?"

"A pain in the ass, but he survived." Rose said he kept trying to wake up, so Carlisle had to consistently administer more anesthesia.

Paul worried they were going to permanently put him to sleep.

"He was going to be his own demise, it wasn't Carlisle's fault."

"I want to see him."

"In a little while. Carlisle gave him more sedation. He needs to be very still for the next couple of hours."

Bella knew if she was next to him, his wolf would listen to her and settle down so she wasn't taking no for an answer.

Sam was the first to ask, "What was it? Did he get it out and is Jake healing?"

Rose held up a glass cylinder and shook the contents.

"We got it and it's a good thing. I'm taking it home to Emmett and Jasper. They're going to dissect it, but it seems to be a piece of technology, definitely man-made, not debris and it was lodged deep in the bone. What made it worse, as soon as Carlisle opened the incision, the room reeked of venom."

Paul shivered at the memory, "I almost lost my shit. How'd they do that to him? I have no idea how's he stayed upright with that in his body this whole time. Jake's the fucking man. They were trying to slowly poison or kill him."

"Or worse," Rose added.

Bella didn't know what could be worse until Rose expressed her theory. "I think this is a tracking device and if I'm right, we're all doomed. No telling what sort of data Aro obtained if I'm right."

That sounded extremely sci-fyish and Bella had her doubts. The Cullens could figure it out, but all she could think about was getting to Jake. Rose tried to stop her again. Bella was prepared to take on a vampire to get to her mate. He needed her. She felt it. Lucky for Rose, Carlisle stepped out the double doors and told her to hurry back.

"My presence isn't helping, so we're going to all step out." He told her not to let him get up. He suspected she was the only one that could keep him calm.

Bella was going to sit down in the chair next to the bed but she decided to climb in with him on his good side. She squeezed on the gurney. Jacob looked vulnerable, asleep with monitors hooked to him. He was making noises and shifting restlessly until her voice and touch soothed him.

"Rest, baby. I'm here next to you and I'm not going anywhere." She meant right at the moment, but she also meant forever, no matter what life continued to throw at them.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **If you haven't seen my new story, please go to The Learning Curve as soon as possible for a unique twist on my favorite pairing.**_

 _ **Also, I have made myself a promise to update Perfect Relations this week or I'm tossing my laptop in the sea and never writing again. Someone, please hold me accountable.**_


	49. Chapter 49

_**~Two weeks has flown by. I wasn't aware it's been so long.**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 49: Here Comes Trouble

Barry swatted her booty. "Get off that ladder, B. It looks like a deathtrap."

She startled and the ladder wobbled. Barry caught her mid-fall and safely planted her feet back on the ground.

She chastised him. "Way to keep me safe, by scaring me. The ladder was fine until you touched my butt. I'm trying to change the light bulbs."

He said she had a team of tall men at her disposal, so she should never be climbing old wooden ladders. Bella had called a workday at the tribal center, since they were officially expanding. She was the first to show. Barry had just arrived to perform Manny duties to keep Ace entertained. She was also expecting at least four more guys soon. Life was going along fairly smoothly. Jacob was at work. He was a full partner in the garage, which meant he had lots more free time on his hands to do his consulting business, but he still worked two mornings a week to keep Ashley appeased. He'd hired a new manager that actually knew the automotive business and the garage was thriving. Bella was pretty sure, he liked working with his hands enough that he didn't mind being there. He said it gave him time to think.

As the weeks went on with no bad news, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. The best news was Jacob was completely healed. It had been almost a month since his surgery. They were all extremely worried about that device, but from what Jasper and Emmett could surmise, it was busted. Maybe, Aro got a few tidbits out of it at first, but Carlisle imagined that initial phase the following day after the fight, jolted the component enough that it became useless. They only had theories about how the venom got trapped in his tissue, but once the implant was removed and the area was cleansed and repaired correctly, Jacob was up and running the next day.

Bella, Jacob and their son were finally situated in their cabin. Jacob had a work crew already assessing the foundation issues of the main house. Regular construction was starting the following week. Seth, Amy and Brady all came in at the same time. Bella looked around them and didn't see Quil. He was not the most dependable person lately. She knew why. The imprint talk went well at first, but then Claire and Zane announced they were still committed to their budding romance. They didn't actually put it that way, but both of them dug in their heels and refused to break up. They felt their will was stronger than anything imprinting had to offer.

 _Whatever you say_ was the general reply from the adults.

Not much had been sorted out between Quil and Zane, even though they had to learn to work together. Jacob ran patrols with them at times and he said things were a smidgen better. Bella thought Quil's real problem was that Claire no longer spent time with him. His wolf missed her which dampened Quil's normal jovial mood as well. She missed his mischievous grin and all the antics that went along with it. However, he had no choice but to be what Claire wanted. Bella truly hoped something changed for the better soon. She and Jacob were so happy now. She wanted their whole pack to be experiencing such bliss.

She started to text Quil but figured it was pointless. The rest of them got busy with the tasks for the day. A few times, Ace distracted all of them. He was getting pretty daring now that he crawled with ease. He was attempting to grab onto things now and he'd recently made it to his knees.

Barry joked, "One day soon, you're going to turn your back and he's going to be on top of the coffee table or something."

Bella wasn't too worried, she and Jacob had little to no furniture in the tiny cabin. That was a good thing perhaps. Bella would be scared to death if he did something like that. They were one step away from being hobos Jacob teased. He apologized every night their bed was a mattress on the floor, but Bella didn't mind. It was only a temporary situation. Besides, that was the first thing, their son attempted to pull up to because the mattress was barely off the floor. None of those insignificant details mattered to her when almost every night, Jacob covered her body with his and proved his love to her. They were happy to have their own room and their own place.

* * *

Seth and Brady stopped working abruptly. The waves of discontentment moved through Bella as well. She was completely in tune with the mood of the pack even if she wasn't privy to the pack mind.

"Something's wrong. It's Quil. He's upset."

Seth and Brady bolted for the exit. Bella followed them. She got as far as the window before Barry got a firm grip on her. "I don't think so. You're not moving from this place." He walked over to the door and promptly locked it.

"They're not howling. It's not that large of an emergency. Let me go. I can help Quil. He listens to me."

"Nope. I have guidelines to follow too." He picked up his phone and called Collin.

Bella was annoyed. Some days she was overwhelmed by all the over-protective men in her life. She knew it wasn't Aro related, but Barry wouldn't trust her intuition. They were in a standoff for a few brief minutes. Bella sent a text to Jacob, but she wasn't sure he got it. No doubt, he was already in route with that ripple that moved through the pack. The last thing they expected was to hear the high pitched screeches of a familiar voice. She and Barry said who it was at the exact same time.

"No way!"

"Amy, can you?"

"I've got him, go."

Bella unlocked the door so she and Barry could run to their friend's rescue. There she was. Monica was surrounded by five of the guys and she was letting them have it apparently.

"Thank God! Get over here and help me."

Quil had firm grip on Monica's arms.

"Let her go!" He obeyed, but didn't step away. "Have you lost your mind, Quil? This is Monica, mine and Barry's old roommate."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes, we're sure," Barry was in the process of breaking the circle the pack formed to get to Monica.

Bella saw the tremors running through Quil and the rest of them looked a bit rattled as well.

Barry wrapped Monica in a hug. He wanted to know what the trouble was as much as Bella did. Like she predicted, Jacob arrived about that time. Everyone started talking at once. Jacob quieted them. "Silence! Quil first."

Monica tried to butt in but Barry stopped her. "Not when the big man's speaking. You'll go next if he says it's okay."

"I was on the way over for the workday when I spotted this car with out of states plates driving erratically, so I investigated."

"I wasn't driving erratically, shit for brains. This place is so confusing. I kept getting turned around. I was trying to find Bella and Barry."

"You didn't tell me you were coming today." Bella hadn't heard from Monica in two weeks. She always said maybe she'd come but never gave a definitive answer. Bella gave her the two locations she was normally at, her cabin and the tribal center, but she was supposed to call first.

"You can't drive for shit, lady. You were all over the place."

"That's enough, Quil, back to what got you so upset."

"Come closer Jake, then you'll know."

Jacob walked all the way up. Bella saw his eyes bulge and his nostrils flare. He grabbed Monica firmly on the shoulder. "Where the fuck have you been? Who did you meet with? Who sent you?"

"Jake, stop!" Everyone was freaking out and Bella was still clueless.

"She smells."

Quil said the car was twice as bad.

Jacob didn't finish what Monica smelt like, but Bella knew immediately. Monica was extremely offended. "I've been traveling, but I took a damn shower last night." She did a tentative sniff towards her underarm.

Bella eventually convinced Jacob to let her talk to Monica alone while the guys went through her car to see if they could come up with an explanation why she smelt so strongly of vampire and yet was still breathing.

* * *

She and Barry took her inside and they all had a seat. Amy had taken Ace to the backroom to give them privacy. "Seriously, B, your friends are a bunch of assholes, especially that curly headed one. I thought he was going to fucking assault me on the pavement. Can you imagine how scared I was?"

"Quil's harmless, but he takes his duty very seriously."

"What duty? Is this about the creep that keeps stalking you or your crazy ex or something entirely different?"

Bella looked up and saw Jacob headed their way. She told her friend to wait a second so she could meet him at the entrance.

"I can't figure it out. None of us recognize the scent. I'm thinking about calling over the douche and Madame Hardly-Sees-Shit."

She agreed that wasn't a bad idea since those two had actually been to Volterra.

Bella told him what she wanted to do. "I have to tell. It's the only way."

"She's a bit flighty."

"I know, but they've found her and... "

He finished her statement. "She can't leave."

"Exactly." Bella found out that after her grandmother passed, Monica got a little bit of money. She was traveling, trying to find herself. Barry had asked her to stay with them for a while but she only promised a visit. She was talking about booking a trip to Europe. She would resist this confinement to the reservation that was the current way of life for all of them. Monica needed to know the seriousness of this entire situation.

Jacob gave her quick kiss and said to call him if she needed extra convincing. He had calls to make and patrol assignments to organize. Bella made it back to the table. Barry was rubbing Monica's back. He'd gotten her some snacks and a bottle of water. She looked much better.

"I feel like I've stepped into the twilight zone. This is most definitely not LA. Truth guys. You actually like this place?"

Barry answered first, "Yes, I happen to love it. I've feel like it's the only place I've ever truly belonged." Bella couldn't help but smile at her best friend's fondness of La Push.

Monica waved him off. "That's just because you found a hot guy. I can't believe it, you won our contest. I thought I was a shoe in. How much do I owe you? I forgot what was at stake the last time we went double or nothing."

Barry told her he'd forget the debt if she promised not to freak out. He and Bella were having some sort of unspoken communication with their eyes. He knew she was about to blow Monica's world open.

Bella thought back to how Jacob suggested Quil might be an option for Monica who was back to calling him all sorts of names again. He ran her off the road right before she pulled into the lot. When he smelled vampire, it was evident he jerked her out of her rent car so fast, she had no idea what was happening. To Monica, it looked like psychotic behavior.

"I thought he was going to rip my head off."

Barry said they were all lucky he didn't.

"Quil's a good guy, Mon. It was a misunderstanding. In fact, he's the friend I told you about."

"You can't be serious. You want to set me up with that guy? I'd rather pick one of those stuffy morons my mother suggested."

"Forget all that now, hun. Listen to B. We've got more important matters to go over. Talk. Who did you meet and interact with recently?"

Monica realized they wanted every detail from the past few days. She tried to remember every route she'd taken and every stop she'd made. She finally got to the crucial part this morning just outside Seattle. "There was this cute blonde girl crying in the bathroom. Her asshole boyfriend abandoned her. You know how I fall hard for sob stories about jilted women. We should band together, you know."

Barry was incensed. "You can't be serious! You took up with a stranger from a gas station? How many times have I told you about shit like that? You actually gave her a ride?"

"Yes, she was normal and petite, hardly dangerous looking. I was bored. I hadn't talked to anyone in days. You know I'm a people person. She asked for a lift to Forks. Isn't that crazy? I was already going to Forks."

Bella was immediately worried about the description of this woman. She knew Alice or Edward could determine for sure. Aro was pulling out the big guns now. She had no idea what he was trying to prove? He knew practically everything there was to know about Bella.

"I'm so happy to see the both of you, but this is all too much. I'm think I should get on the road and keep going for now. I'll come back again soon and I'll definitely call first next time."

Barry said a firm no, interrupting everything Monica was insisting.

"Excuse me?"

"Tell her now, B."

Bella thought revealing the truth about the pack would be easiest to digest so she started there. She was in the tribal center so she started with the tribe's origins and legends.

Monica wasn't buying it. She thought Bella had been taking her job a little too seriously.

Barry backed her up.

"You're both pulling my leg. You're crazy if you think I believe you sleep with wolf-men. That sounds perverse."

"It's not. They're men, 100%, but they have the ability to shift into a spirit wolf to defend these lands. They are our protectors and I'm sorry, Mon. I know you don't like taking orders, but you can't leave here."

"For how long?"

"Indefinitely. It's not safe."

Monica had heard enough. She said she loved them, but they were both off their rockers. She stormed out of the center with Barry and Bella on her heels. Jacob, Quil and Paul stepped in her way. She was trying to flee to her car.

"Not going to happen."

Monica started searching her pockets.

Quil dangled a set of keys on his finger high over her. "Looking for these?"

"Fuck you, give me my keys! Bella, I swear to God if you don't call off your friends. I'm calling 911. Isn't your dad the law around here? You can't be a part in this kidnapping ring."

Barry tried to calm her down but it wasn't working. She called him a traitor.

When Jacob held up her phone, she really lost it.

"I'm not staying here, so unless you all plan to go wolf on me, I'm getting out of here even if I have to walk."

"That can be arranged. Did you tell her all of it, Bells?"

"No, I was about to reveal the danger, but she stormed off before I had the chance."

Paul was impatient. He blurted it out. "She wasn't lying. We're wolves and you're friend, riding shotgun was a blood sucking demon. You're lucky she didn't drain you dry and leave your lifeless corpse on the side of the road. If you leave, it could still happen, so quit acting like a diva and accept that your friends only want to protect you."

Monica went completely pale. "What's he talking about?"

Bella grabbed her by the shoulders. "It's the truth. I would never make up a story like this. Quil flipped because he smelled a vampire. It's all over you and in the car. My stalker is a vampire. Hell, even my ex-family are vampires, not the killer ones like you'd imagine, but this has been my life for over a decade. I'm sorry you're being sucked into my world, but I love you. It's not safe. You can't leave."

Bella saw Emily circling around in her car. She was bringing lunch for the work crew. She and Claire were hesitant as they got out of the car. It was obvious something was going on.

Monica finally spoke. "A vampire?"

Paul confirmed it again, "Finally, she can be taught. Yes, Dracula's first cousin. I vant to drink your blood vampire. You're either lucky or stupid, lady."

Bella saw her friend's eyelids flutter.

Quil was fast. He caught her on the way down. "And we have a fainter!" He slowly brought her down to the ground and cradled her head in his lap. Barry ran back inside for water.

Emily and Claire walked in closer to catch the tail-end of Monica passing out. Quil was gently trying to rouse her with no luck. Bella regretted how they handled it but Monica was being so difficult. She had to hear the truth.

She was shocked at the way Claire snapped, "Who the hell is she?"

All eyes traveled from Monica on the ground to little Claire who didn't seem so little anymore. She was normally a little more soft-spoken and polite. Bella saw a flash of anger in her eyes when she addressed Quil specifically.

"I asked a question. Who is that?"

Bella studied Quil's reaction. He smirked before he came to Monica's defense. "Back up, Claire. My new friend needs some air. She's had a traumatic day." He started tapping her cheeks and calling her pet names like sweetie and hun, pleading with her to wake up.

Jacob snaked his arm around Bella's back. She felt him laughing behind her so she elbowed him. How could he be laughing right now? A vampire rode back with Monica all the way to Forks and she was out cold on the pavement. He leaned down and said Sam and Jared tracked the scent to another spot up the road but the trail was dead. She'd gotten inside another car. They were all about to spread out as soon as the Cullens got there to go through the car.

Monica finally started moaning and Barry took over. He doubted she'd want to wake up to Quil's face first thing.

Jacob pulled Bella off to the side, "She going to be fine. I'm going to handle it. It's just more of his sick games. You're still safe."

"So Aro amuses you now?"

"No, I wasn't laughing about that. That's serious damn business, but that shit with your screwball friend and Quil, then Claire acting all possessive was priceless. Hell, I don't know. I needed a moment of levity. It was pretty funny. Admit it."

Bella loved Monica, but Jacob was wrong. It wasn't funny, she was pretty sure her presence was going to cause a whole mess of new trouble which was the last thing any of them needed.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Here's the part where I reveal that I was sure this story would be fifty chapters. Doubtful. Any guesses how much longer it will go?**_


	50. Chapter 50

_**~A/N Here's the deal. If you check out my profile occasionally or read my other story, The Learning Curve, you might have seen I was having difficulties with my stories. Funny thing is that when I gave myself permission to walk away and not be in a hurry to post updates, the words flooded my mind again. So many words, dear readers that this story has been completed. You have no idea how happy that makes me. I can spread out the updates once or twice a week. That's probably the most doable schedule for me. Of course, I do listen to the readers' urgings about faster updates if I leave you with a cliffy and you know I love those, so expect some.**_

 _ **Without further hesitation, here we go...**_

Chapter 50: Boom

Bella tapped her glass with a knife, ignoring that it was plastic and didn't carry much of a sound. The lunch crowd at the cafe had dissipated, so it was mostly their crew.

"The first weekly meeting of the Black pack moms-to-be will now come to order."

Leah tossed a paper airplane at her. She'd been constructing her latest creation underneath the table for the past five minutes. Bella could never figure out how she was so good at that sort of stuff. Normally, that was a guy thing, wasn't it?

"Is it really going to be this official every week because I don't know if I can deal? I had extra onions on my Reuben and I'm already regretting it. Sitting here for another hour is not going to help. I need to get up and move around."

"I assure you that what I have to say won't take an hour. I need a nap. I just want a general update on how everyone's feeling. Who's made doctor's appointments? Has anyone else considered the midwife route? I figured we could do a share and answer time: morning sickness remedies, healthy recipes, and how you're all coping with extreme fatigue?" Bella raised her hand, that had been her biggest gripe so far. That and a very grumpy baby because her milk was drying up and he wasn't quite ready to let his favorite pastime go.

Kim was the first to respond, "I was thinking exercise is just as important as our diet. Who else is up for a daily walk? What about pregnancy yoga? I'd be willing to organize something for our group."

Leah tossed another folded menu airplane that stuck in Kim's hair. Rachel said she was all for walking as soon as she could keep her head out of the toilet for ten minutes straight.

* * *

Bella still had moments when she couldn't believe this was really happening. Jacob figured it out first. Bella ripped into him one afternoon for leaving the oj cap on crooked. She was craving cold orange juice frequently and wasn't happy in the least when she shook the carton vigorously. She was in the midst of cleaning up the sticky mess when Jacob came home from work about a month prior. Her wails were a close second to Ace's who had crawled into the spilled juice. He lost his grip on the floor and bumped his chin.

"You did this, Jacob Black because you're inconsiderate and you're too careless!"

"I wasn't even here. What the heck is going on? Why's everybody crying?" He took a few steps towards her. His feet made a noise as the soles of his work boots peeled off the linoleum with each step he took. "You spilled the orange juice."

His statement sent her over the edge. Bella threw the sticky rag at him as she started up with another round of tears because she'd already wiped the floor twice. Bella collapsed in a heap at his feet. Their son climbed over her lap. He'd recovered from his injury already and was ready for his mother to play with him.

Jacob assumed the position with them on the floor. He made her tell him what got her so upset. Things had been going better except Monica had given them a little stress in the beginning. In a very weird turn of events, Monica and Renee were roomies in one of Mr. Cameron's rent houses. She was surprised at how well those two hit it off. At least, Monica calmed down and started trying to get to know everyone, since she was under res arrest. She actually was spending a little time talking to Quil. It turned out she didn't despise him after all and he was enjoying some female companionship again.

Bella calmed down and told him about the orange juice. He apologized. He didn't completely admit his guilt. He reminded her she'd been hitting it hard all hours of the day as well.

"I never screw the cap on lop-sided."

"Sure about that?"

"Positive."

"Bells, I noticed something this morning and I think you just confirmed it."

"What?"

"All this talking about screwing and accidents, don't you think that's a bit ironic?"

She didn't follow him at first until he tilted his head. Jacob glanced down at her lower body, then he nodded his head up and down. "I smell it."

He grabbed Ace from her, expecting a freak out. She sat there stunned and still, no freak outs followed. It all added up, but she'd been too busy to notice every little sign like she did with Atticus.

"Oh my God! I'm pregnant!"

"Yep, so much for waiting and seeing what happens. It happened fairly quickly, I'd say. Are you okay?"

Bella took a deep breath and relaxed. She was better than okay. This time they were doing it right. She was ecstatic.

"You didn't mean you think it's a mistake, do you? You said 'accident', but this little perfect human wasn't planned either." She rubbed their son's soft tufts of black hair. It was growing so fast. Renee kept insisting he have his first haircut already, but both Jacob and Bella refused.

Jacob wrapped his tiny family up in one of his comforting hugs. He kissed her on the side of her head while balancing his fidgety son on one leg. Ace soon broke free and crawled towards the play mat. He assured her any and all their children would be welcomed additions. He never regretted one moment of having Ace and he knew the same would hold true with the new baby.

The other epiphany came to her that night. Bella sat straight up in bed just after she noticed Jacob breathing heavier. He was sound asleep. Her sudden movement jolted him awake and he reached for her, asking what was wrong.

"It's not just me."

"Huh?"

"The other mates are pregnant too."

"Who?"

"All of them."

* * *

Kim and Jared were the only ones trying to add to their family. Both Emily and Rachel felt content with their family size. Amelia and Seth were just trying to make it to the altar next month without a hitch. They certainly weren't planning to get pregnant anytime soon. And then... there was Leah. She had been the most difficult to convince, but Bella passed out pregnancy tests to all of them the following day.

"Nope, not I. The re-phase stifled all signs of my reproductive cycle which took me forever to resume in the first place. I'm not like the rest of you."

Bella informed her nursing appeared to stifle her fertility signals as well, but she was most definitely pregnant. She took her test first to confirm what Jacob was already sure of. All five of them got positive results same as Bella. That meant six new pack babies were on the way, all at the same time.

They got carried away comparing the first few weeks of pregnancy and time slipped away. Leah settled down. Bella had to laugh when she caught her taking notes

"So Sue me, Swan. I never thought this would happen to me and I don't shit about this stuff." Leah was having the hardest time out of all of them because of the abrupt conclusion from shifting. Jacob made it an order as soon as the realized she was truly pregnant. No one knew how that might affect her pregnancy even though her body had obviously changed several times before she realized. Her wolf retreated without hesitation so it must have been the right decision. Leah still felt antsy and craved being up and around. Embry was going outside almost every night chasing her into the woods and hauling her ass back inside. Sue was about ready to kick them both out. Embry was working on finding them their own place.

Bella felt like a slug and wanted to relax most of the time which was impossible with a very active baby. She was happy to let her mother, Sue, Barry or Claire babysit often since her son was constantly on the move. He was way ahead of where the suggested milestones predicted he'd be.

Monica came in at the end of their meeting. Bella watched Claire stick her head out of the kitchen. She was definitely not warming up to Monica and everyone was confused even more with the imprint situation between Quil and her. It seemed that Monica was behaving rather childish about it as well. It was like she deliberately pushed the younger girl's buttons. Bella had never witnessed her act that way before.

She waved, "Yoo-hoo, Claire. Can I get a cafe latte with vanilla?"

"No, we're closed and I cleaned the espresso machine already. I have leftover coffee from this morning, that I haven't tossed yet. Will that do?"

"Um, gee I don't know. Stale, cold, rancid coffee or nothing, what do you think, sweetie?"

A couple of minutes ticked by before Claire sashayed over with a mug. She plopped it on the table directly in front of Monica.

"Why you little shit! That splashed on my shirt. Didn't you hear what I said?"

"You asked what I thought and I thought this shitty coffee was plenty good for you."

Bella broke in, "Come on, you two."

Monica dabbed a napkin over her shirt then waved her hands in the air. "Whatever, my bad. I forgot wittle Claire is still a baby and doesn't understand sarcasm yet."

Claire snatched up the mug. Bella firmly shook her head when she saw her hover the steaming cup of old coffee behind Monica's back. Kim grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into the kitchen.

Bella mumbled under her breath. "She's a kid, Mon. Stop. I'm having trouble distinguishing who the adult is."

"She's a little bitch. You heard her earlier. Just look at my shirt. She's always taking jabs at me for no reason. I can't believe you support this kind of perversion. She's just pissed that Quil is enjoying some time with a real woman and she's not the center of the universe."

Bella heard some loud banging in the kitchen. She wasn't really sure what was going through Claire's mind. She'd been the one that insisted she only had eyes for Zane and that Quil was like her brother. Her instant dislike for Monica said otherwise. Bella had rarely seen such jealousy up close and personal.

"Anywho? What did I miss? How are all the little Mommas? Who's due first? Hopefully, I missed all the gross chat. I swear if anyone mentions constipation or eating paste, I'm taking my work outside."

Bella said they still weren't sure about due dates, but that no one planned to gross her out. They were finishing up. Rachel questioned the paste comment. Bella shrugged. Who knew where Monica got her information?

Rachel told her no one was suffering from anything too unusual. Both Kim and Emily were a little standoffish with Monica because of Claire which surprised Bella. Neither had been keen on this weird turnaround with Quil. They preferred her with Zane since he was her age. Kim and her sister were tight and it seemed almost like everyone was declaring loyalties one way or the other. Kim's sister, Brit had been really nice to Monica and since she was currently unemployed, Monica volunteered to create a website for the cafe. They were in talks about starting to ship limited products. Monica had worked for several places in LA that were strictly online companies. She was stopping off almost every day at closing time. Of course, Claire helped out as soon as school was over most days, so that put those two in the same place far too often.

* * *

Monica was so scatterbrain at times. Bella was staying close by in case she had to referee any other tiffs between the stubborn teenage girl and her opinionated friend. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, some of the guys are out front arguing with this prissy blonde bitch. She asked if you were inside, B."

"What? When?"

"Like ten minutes ago. I didn't answer her, when she asked if you were here. Embry was telling her to get lost. She's probably gone by now."

A prissy blonde bitch that made Embry hostile immediately registered in Bella's brain. Why would Kaleigh be here? How did she even know how to find her? The divorce was final ten days ago. There was nothing else to say. Kaleigh and Jacob were history. He was marrying Bella in six weeks, right after Seth and Amy's wedding. They'd already made all the plans. He ended up with more debt than he deserved in the settlement and didn't get his fair share from the house sale, but he hardly cared any longer. He just wanted to close the door on that part of his past.

Bella's curiosity got the best of her. She went to the window and sure enough, Kaleigh hadn't left. She was in the parking lot with Embry and Sam and she was not taking no for an answer. She yelled louder when she saw her.

"I knew it! You home-wrecking, bitch! I saw you. Come out here right now. We need to talk."

Bella tentatively approached the door. All her friends voiced their opinions. "Hell no, don't go out there. Let the guys get rid of her." Leah volunteered to check it out, but she didn't think Bella needed to go outside.

She was feeling conflicted. Maybe everyone was right, but for some reason, Bella felt a little empathy for Kaleigh. After all, she had destroyed their marriage in a roundabout way. Sure, Jacob admitted he was to blame for actually marrying her in the first place. Then there was the little matter of how Kaleigh went batshit crazy during the process. Maybe the two of them needed this closure. Bella would let her say whatever she needed to say and then they'd never have see each other again.

Bella opened the door despite the others begging her not to.

"Stop Emb, I'll see her." She started to take a step out, but Leah put her hand on her shoulder.

"No, not out there. She can come in, but all of us are staying right here. She thinks my man's menacing, just wait until I'm done with her if she even hints about getting out of hand."

Bella didn't want Leah to resort to violence. She was an expectant mother, same as her. Briefly, she imagined Jacob's response. He wouldn't like her being in close proximity to his ex. She wondered if Embry had already called him. He probably had or sent Zane after him, because Bella didn't see him outside where he was earlier.

Embry and Sam argued again, but Bella said that Kaleigh could come inside. Bella insisted they stay on the porch. She backed up. Kaleigh stomped up the steps and into the cafe. She surveyed the room. "Seriously? Could we have some privacy?"

The group shouted out a firm, "No!"

"This place is completely insane. Do any of you know the real world exists outside the borders of the reservation? What's with all the security?" She knocked her own head. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You're being stalked and need constant protection? How did you honestly convince an entire tribe to fall for your bullshit? I was sure it was just Jake and his obvious blind spot where you're concerned, but I see your persuasive powers know no limits. How quickly everyone forgot that you broke him, abandoned him, pretended to be dead. Yet, he couldn't stay away as soon as you were resurrected. He was so excited to see you again, he accidentally fell into your bed, more like your trap. Idiot!" Kaleigh spun around and shouted, "You're all idiots! Bella has always done whatever she wants and you all kiss her ass as a reward."

"Bitch, you need to leave. Don't give her another second, Bella," very surprising words from Emily, but Bella was still curious what provoked Kaleigh to drive all the way from Seattle.

"Do you have something significant to say or not, Kaleigh? I'm sorry for how things transpired and that you were hurt, but there's nothing else I can do for you. I don't expect you to forgive me."

"I sure as hell don't. Are you aware I lost my job? My beautiful home that Jacob designed with me in mind has strangers moving in today. I'm estranged from all my friends and family. You destroyed my life and there was not one single repercussion for you. Precious Bells came out on top, like some sort of goddamned hero. How unfair is that?"

Bella had no idea why Kaleigh lost her job or why she was on the outs with people close to her. None of that hardly was her or Jake's fault. There was something noticeably wrong with her now that Bella studied her behavior a little closer. The last time Bella saw her, she was in the midst of a breakdown, but today she was wired in an entirely different way. She also appeared to be swaying a little and slurring some of her words together. Letting her inside had been a stupid decision. Bella didn't owe her another apology that would never be accepted. Kaleigh needed to leave. She told her that exact statement after Kaleigh finally shut up.

Bella started walking towards her, hoping Kaleigh would back out the same way she'd come in. She changed her tone when she asked about her son, "How's Atticus?"

That was unexpected.

"He's fine."

"That's surprising considering his parents, but I, honestly, did adore him. He doesn't deserve the mess he was born into."

Rachel had heard enough. She was a straight shooter. "Knock it off, you crazy bitch. My brother and Bella are excellent parents. My nephew is a blessed child. Thank God you never had a spawn, that would be the most unfortunate child in history. You heard my friend, leave! There's nothing left to say. Jacob corrected his choices. His family is here. I have no idea why you bothered driving the distance other than to make a fool of yourself."

The rest was a blur to Bella. Certainly, a normal person would take off and not submit herself to further humiliation.

Leah said Kaleigh was high as a kite. There was little time for Bella to comprehend what that meant. Jacob's ex wife charged her without further hesitation. She was determined that Bella reap some consequences for her actions at last. At that point in time in her drugged out mind, that was death to Bella by choking. It didn't last long enough to have lasting damage because Leah was true to her word. Kaleigh was restrained seconds later by a much more dominate female before the guys came barreling in all at once.

Bella was thrown in the scuffle and took a tumble into one of the tables. Jacob had arrived right in the middle of the worst part. He said it happened in slow motion to him. He rushed to Bella's side. Brit was on the phone with 911. She was determined to see Kaleigh arrested for coming into her place of business and assaulting her friend.

"Bells, are you okay?"

She had the wind knocked out of her, but she thought she was okay. Everyone in the place was in a complete uproar. One of them mentioned the baby. Kaleigh was currently being held down by Sam and Embry.

"Wait, you mean you got her pregnant again? Already? I... " her voice trailed off. Leah was right, Kaleigh was completely wasted on something. Embry said she must have taken something right before getting out of her car because she didn't seem altered outside and none of them smelled booze. She was starting to become incoherent.

Jacob approached her. He was beyond furious. "What did you take?"

She screamed, "Fuck off!"

Jacob said he'd go outside and break her window to find out for himself. "You fucking crazy bitch, you just choked a pregnant woman in front of a room full of people. You're going to jail for this, but I'm pretty sure you're getting your stomach pumped first. I heard that's a bitch." He yelled to Brit for them to send an ambulance as well.

Bella was just now getting off the floor, Kim insisted she take it slow. All she wanted to do was get out of there, get back to the cabin and check on Atticus and Barry. The quicker she got away from Kaleigh, the better. She made it down the hall to the bathroom when the pains consumed her. Bella doubled over and screamed.

"It hurts! No, no, please no. Something's wrong, Jake. Help me!"

There was confusion and chaos all around. Jacob lifted her in his arms and tried to comfort her. Bella could see that Kaleigh had gone unconscious, and Brit was sobbing into the phone to send two ambulances. She couldn't imagine one topple over a table would be so dangerous, but the cramps consuming her were proof it caused some type of damage.

She should've never let Kaleigh inside even though no one would've predicted such a turn of events. That woman would pay for what she did if she hadn't already succumbed to an overdose. Bella couldn't waste time worrying about what happened to Kaleigh. If she lost their baby, there was another she would ultimately blame and that was herself.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Tell the truth, did anyone think I meant baby boom when I gave that hint a few updates ago? LOL! Who was thrilled to see Kaleigh again?**_

 _ **#teamClaire or #teamMonica**_

 _ **There are still so many surprises to come. I'm excited to share my vision with all of you in the coming weeks. Thanks so much for supporting me and giving me encouragement along the way.**_


	51. Chapter 51

_**~The responses last chapter were amazing. I'm overwhelmed. I can't wait to reveal the rest of the chapters. I'm literally restraining myself to not update too quickly. I want to give you time to digest each and everyone of them.**_

 _ **I'm pretty darn sure this one will drop some jaws, "Oh no she didn't," and similar phrases, but this is how I saw it going. Can't argue with the muse.**_

Chapter 51: Beginnings and Endings

"Hey, beautiful. How you feeling? Damn, honey, when you say you need a nap, you mean it."

Bells had been out for hours. The doctor gave her a sedative, she was so hysterical the whole ride to the hospital.

She looked around the room like she was trying to get her bearings. She finally spoke up. "We're at the hospital?"

"Yeah honey," before Jacob could say anything else, she broke down just like she had done in the ambulance.

"I know what I did. I didn't listen. I never listen and now I've lost our baby. You must hate me right now."

Jacob grabbed hold of her and held her close. He told her to stop crying, "I could never hate you, honey. Calm down and listen so I can tell you everything. Better yet, look at this." He grabbed the printout off the nearby table. "You don't remember, do you? Everything's fine."

"I'm so groggy, I'm not sure. I just remember crazy Kaleigh and hitting a table and then so much pain." He handed her the picture and she immediately calmed down. "Is that our baby? And I'm not miscarrying?"

"Nope, as far as the doctor could tell, everything seemed completely normal. Can you see it? Or should I say he or she? I guess our baby really isn't an it. We listened to the heartbeat too. You're about eight weeks. I just won some money from Lahote too. No one else got pregnant until I knocked you up first on our epic first date."

She laughed. "It wasn't a competition."

"I still win," he bragged.

Bella had trouble believing nothing was wrong, she'd been in so much pain. Jacob told her it was a spasm, most likely some kind of ligament pain in her abdomen. The doctor wanted her to take it easy for a few days since she probably had a strain, but the baby appeared to be perfectly healthy for an eight-week fetus. She wasn't cramping any longer and never had any bleeding, so the prognosis was excellent. Carlisle was working on getting her released so she could rest comfortably at home.

She wanted to know how Ace was. Renee and Monica were at the cabin helping out with Barry. They said he was perfectly fine.

"What happened to Kaleigh?"

"She had a seizure in the ambulance, I heard. I think she's stable now." He wasn't sure what she'd taken or what the doctors did to reverse the effects of the OD. "Her parents are trying to have her transferred to a private psychiatric facility. I spoke with them and Mack. It wasn't my favorite moment. Charlie said she'll probably escape the criminal charges because of the breakdown. Their lawyer was here as well. I guess she's going to claim mental illness. We're still implementing a protective order. She won't be allowed anywhere near you, me or our children ever again."

"I want to hate her, but I guess she really is sick, hooked on drugs or both. I'm sorry for talking to her in the first place."

"Yeah, well, Sam and Embry should have gotten rid of her quicker. I've been so worried about vamps coming back, I never dreamed she would be your most imminent threat. I thought the divorce meant we were rid of her for good."

He agreed with Bells that hopefully, this time they really were done with her, but she still felt uneasy about things.

* * *

Bella recovered quickly. Going home and resting was the best medicine. Jacob made certain Barry, Renee or anyone that volunteered to pick up the slack stayed with her while he was working. Bella insisted it wasn't necessary to have help for two full weeks, but Jacob wouldn't take no for an answer. He, initially wanted her to use a sitter for Ace until she was out of the first trimester. All the other pregnant mates were in good condition. Everyone had their first checkups. It was going to be crazy that last month when they were all due within days of each other.

The weeks passed with no life-altering occurrences. Before they knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived and it was Seth and Amy's wedding day. The pack could use an elaborate celebration. There was so much to celebrate: healthy babies and Mommas, Renee was practically in remission from her MS, lots of couples in love and a long stint with absolutely no signs of leech activity. Jacob was looking forward to his own wedding only two weeks away. He and Bells weren't doing anything nearly as grand as Amy and Seth. They went all out with their holiday themed wedding and reception, but they'd been planning a good year. He and Bella would only have the pack and their family, not the whole reservation in attendance.

After lots of consideration, he felt confident they could have a mini-honeymoon, not too far from the reservation. After all, he was allowing Seth to take a real honeymoon in Colorado, but Embry and Leah were accompanying them so they'd have some backup. Monica was incessantly complaining about feeling stir crazy on the reservation. She actually invited herself and asked Quil to go. Jacob thought they were going to have a full out war when Quil pondered the invitation. Claire and Monica did not get along. They all knew that and now Claire and Zane were arguing all the damn time because he knew she was jealous of Quil's new companion even though she denied it. If these menial squabbles were the worst he had to deal with, he couldn't complain. Quil was working the situation to his advantage. Jacob warned him the night of Seth's bachelor party.

"Monica might be a flake, but don't use her, man. It's not right. Could you attempt to act your age instead of inciting teen drama 24/7?"

He defended himself. "True, my first impression of Monica was pretty bad. Reeking of vamp clouded my judgment. However, she's a cool chick. We enjoy each other's company. She knows I have no plans for getting attached. The truth is absolutely nothing is going on. Claire is the one that's turned it all into drama. I just keep quiet. She needs to realize her relationship with Zane is just as pointless as me starting something up with Monica. I'm not and I don't plan on it, like ever."

"Yeah, but you acted like you were going to take her on a skiing trip as Seth's tag-along. We all thought you were going to say 'yes'. Correction, Bella didn't believe it for a second. In fact, she and Monica got in a little tiff about it. She told her she was inappropriate for asking in the first place."

He smiled, "Bella gets me."

"Yeah, she gets all of us, but I'm serious, be careful. You're not the type to be cruel. If you see Monica's getting attached, do the right thing."

Quil promised he would.

* * *

Bella wrapped her arms snug around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He loved holding her like this. They were slowing dancing at the reception after Bella had given it her all in a series of fast paced party and line dances. She kept it up for longer than he predicted, but she had a lot more energy recently. She was also lucky to rarely feel nauseous. Rachel was pissed at Paul the majority of the time since she had severe morning sickness from day one.

Bella looked up at him and studied him with those warm chocolate pools that were her soulful eyes. Getting lost inside them was one of his favorite pastimes, especially when he was also buried inside her beautiful body while they made love. That thought reminded him he was ready to take her home.

Jacob stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. She spoke up, "We're next."

"Yes, almost official." It was weird, but she already felt like his wife. He'd slipped up and called her that many times to others. Billy said their spirits were already joined in a sacred unity that was above and beyond what any document issued by the state would compare to. It was still important to them to participate in the tradition of a real marriage ceremony in front of their loved ones, with their son by their sides.

Jared tapped Jacob on the back. He was out of luck if he thought he was cutting in on this dance with his future bride. Bella had already danced with all of them more than once. The night was winding down. Ace had nodded off a good hour ago. Bella was smart enough to set up the pack-n-play in the corner since she expected it to be a late night.

"Sorry, bro, but you're not going to believe this."

They'd had so many near perfect moments blown to hell. Honestly, not much would surprise him. "What?" he said with great annoyance.

"Your crazy ex wife is here, out front. She's not alone, that guy Mack is with her. She said it's important. She needed to talk to you and Bella and knew we'd all be here tonight."

"Seriously, did the asylum honestly let her go already or is she an escapee?"

Jared shrugged. "Collin was going to get Charlie. Maybe he should call it in."

"Un-fucking-believable." Jacob squeezed her tight and kissed her one more time. "Let me handle this, baby. Stay close to Ace and I'll be right back. I don't want her to disrupt the reception anymore than she already has." Hopefully, Seth and Amy didn't know their wedding reception was being crashed by a psycho.

Jacob walked outside with a couple of the guys that were aware of what was going on. Mack met him first. Jacob was tempted to punch him again. That felt so good the other time, but being cuffed pretty much sucked. He kept his balled fists at his side.

"I know this looks bad. I tried to get her to send a letter instead, but she insisted. It had to be in person."

"What? Insisted on exposing us to more of her insanity? Get her the hell outta here, Mack. My brother just got married. This is a celebration. We also have a protective order, she's breaking the law- _again._ What crackpot let her out already?"

Kaleigh stepped out of the shadows looking quite different from the Kaleigh he remembered. She was wearing sweat pants and a baggy shirt. She didn't have on makeup and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail high on her head. Jacob had seen her look that way a few times when they were in college. In fact, their first meeting had been him running into her after an all-night study session. He'd been in a bad mood after studying with Mack, but Kaleigh completely changed his course that day. She looked almost exactly the same as that morning he bought her a cup of coffee.

"Jake, I promise. I'm not here to cause trouble, but I need to say this to both you and Bella. Will you please go get her?"

"No way. You tried to kill her."

"I wasn't myself. It was the drugs. Well, that's not the whole truth, but I was on a collision course with disaster and I should have never driven to La Push that day. I'm better now, I swear it. What could possibly happen with the army you surround yourself with?"

Mack insisted they hear her out. He wouldn't have brought her if Kaleigh was still a danger to herself and others.

Jacob nodded at Collin to go after Bella. Charlie stepped out and was saying hell no, but Jacob said he wanted Bells to decide for herself. A few seconds ticked by with Jacob and Kaleigh staring at each other with a certain distance between them. Bella slowly approached the small gathering in the parking lot. He pulled her into his side and held her in a protective clutch.

Kaleigh started talking fast. She probably knew she was on borrowed time. She apologized first. She explained it was her mother that first offered anti-anxiety meds after the night Jacob left her.

"I took too many, but they helped or at least I imagined they did. I got my own prescription, but then the doctor wouldn't give me a refill. I took some drugs from a client's home and no one ever found out. That's when I took whatever I came across during showings. Someone eventually complained. The partners knew how my behavior had changed. They voted me out or they would turn me over to the authorities. I was mixing prescriptions that weren't mine and drinking heavily at Mom's in my old room each night. I've been an absolute mess these months during the divorce proceedings. Jerome made me realize, that's all on me, it's not anyone else's responsibility."

Jacob was questioning in his head, who the fuck is Jerome and how did he ever convince Kaleigh she was wrong about anything? It finally came out that was her new psychiatrist from the facility she'd been staying. She tried therapy one other time but only bullshitted through her sessions. After the overdose and realization that she could have killed Bella or her unborn child, she finally started listening.

"I would never hurt a child. You know that wasn't me, Jake. You knew me, the real me. I'd wandered so far, I was lost. Sure, it was easy to blame Bella, but I knew all those years ago, you weren't committed to me like I was to you. I heard all the warnings from Mack and my parents not to pursue our relationship. You never gave me all of your heart and I was hell-bound to get it, one day. I never stepped down from a challenge and we were happy, at times. I always had hope until one day things changed and I didn't."

Jacob nodded, he owed her that much. They did have some good times before the day she spoke of, the day he announced he had a child with another woman.

"You shattered the glass castle I'd constructed for us in my mind when you admitted your cheating and the result. She had your son and I felt worthless. I was losing you for real even though I never admitted to myself, I'd always been losing. You have no idea what it felt like to be the other woman and I was your actual wife." Kaleigh took a deep breath and insisted she was on the mend once she admitted those things to herself.

Bella broke in. "Kaleigh, I mean it when I say I'm sorry for the pain I caused. The love I felt for Jake and the need to do what as best for our son clouded my judgment at times. I could've done many things differently."

Jake added, "We all could have."

Bella was very genuine when she continued. He knew she never faked it, "I'm glad you've found help and you're getting better. I mean it. This was a very emotional and complex situation. I'm thinking, we're all so much stronger than we were six months ago. I know I am."

Kaleigh nodded, "Are you sure the baby's fine? I didn't cause any damage, did I? No one would give me answers. I was so worried. Jerome used his contacts to get some information from the hospital after the transfer. He's such a wonderful man. He said you were fine and released the first night. I still fretted. I would've never been able to forgive myself it I hurt your unborn child. Let me tell you, after a long look in the mirror, I only saw a stranger, one that I despised. I promised everyone that loved me, no more lies, no more drinking, no more pills, no matter how hard it hurt to quit. Some days, I still crave the escape, but I've never worked at something so hard as I'm working my recovery. You know, Jake. Everything has always been easy for me, but this is a constant challenge."

Jacob could spot lies easily, normally. He'd never witnessed such an honest moment with his former wife. He also noted Kaleigh sounded extremely attached to this psychiatrist she was seeing. Hell, she was calling him his first name but he didn't question it. He was glad she was receiving legitimate help.

Bella said their baby was perfectly healthy. Jacob added that he and Bella were getting married after the new year. Kaleigh didn't seem to react to the news. She must be expecting it.

Mack approached and held out his hand. "Truce?"

Jacob shook his former nemesis's hand. "Yeah, I guess. You're still an asshole."

"Agreed, but admit it, I'm also a better architect than you." Jacob wasn't agreeing to shit. Mack spoke to Bella next. "Bella, it was pleasure. My only regret is we didn't get to know each other better. You really are a special lady. Take care of that little boy of yours and don't let this big, dumb animal ever step out of line." Touché, the moron didn't realize how accurate that insult was.

Bella shook Mack's hand, "Thank you, Mack. You have my word. I will make him behave." Mack lifted Bella's hand like he was going to give her a kiss, but Jacob shook his head slowly, so he let go without risking the last part.

Mack headed back to the car. Bella said goodbye to Kaleigh, as she gave Jacob a gentle nudge towards Kaleigh. They were once husband and wife and she was silently giving him the go ahead to say his final goodbye.

Kaleigh yelled for her, "Give that sweet baby a kiss for me, won't you?"

"Sure, I will tell him KayKay sends her love."

Bella disappeared inside and Jacob was alone with the woman he had loved for a time.

* * *

"I mean it, Jacob." She whisked away a few tears. "I hope you have a good life. I want that for you."

"I hope you do too, Kay. What's with all the Jerome this and Jerome that? It's just us now."

"Oh, well, technically we're bending the rules. Actually, we really clicked, but we're just kinda seeing where it goes. I'm outpatient now and he's in the process of finding me another therapist to un-complicate the situation. You might find this amusing. Mother hates him."

"Why? Sounds like he's done you a world of good."

"He's Creole, born and raised in New Orleans. He graduated from Tulane and he's mixed race."

"Say no more. I get it now, but he's a good guy?"

"Yes, most definitely. I know what you're thinking, maybe he takes advantage of crack-ups like me, but I swear it wasn't like that. For the first time in forever, I feel in control of my own life and I'm finally believing I will get better and be proud of myself, not the self I think others wanted me to be. I have a long way to go, but I'm truly trying. I guess there's nothing else to say, but goodbye and thanks for some truly spectacular memories. You were my first true love and even though I know I never was yours, I like to think I helped you through some dark times."

"You did, Kay." Jacob closed the distance between them so that he could hug her for the very last time. She tiptoed up and kissed his cheek. He was relieved. It was so much easier parting this way instead of all the hatred and name calling. Jacob brushed that same strand of hair that was always falling over her left eye.

Jacob said what was on his heart, "You deserved better than how I treated you."

"Yeah, maybe, but so did you."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Let me have it.**_

 _ **Next chapter is really long and has a little bit of everything ;)**_

 _ **-Honeymoon, anyone?**_

 _ **-Unexpected behaviors**_

 _ **-The final #team is selected**_


	52. Chapter 52

_**Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

 _ **Several songs have always floated around in my mind for these two over the course of this story, but Michael Bublé's "Close Your Eyes" has always been at the top of the list. The lyrics and music are so perfect. Give it a listen.**_

Chapter 52: Close Your Eyes

"Good morning, Mr. Black."

Bella walked her fingers up Jacob's bare chest. He opened his eyes. "Good morning to you, Mrs. Black. Did we even sleep last night?"

"Barely, but actually, it's almost noon and your daughter is starving, so let's get up and make pancakes. I need fuel before another round."

"Really, my tiny unborn daughter knows about pancakes already?"

"Yep, warm pancakes, with melty chocolate chips and hot pools butter. That's what she insists on the first day after her parents tied the knot." She giggled. He knew her weakness for chocolate chip pancakes. They brought the supplies to make all their favorite foods for their three day honeymoon in a remote cabin about 30 miles away from the reservation. Some of the pack was always close by keeping watch, but since things had been calm, Alice wasn't seeing anything and Seth and Amy had a safe honeymoon trip, Jacob felt there was little risk to give Bella a real getaway. Soon, they'd have two little ones and the idea of long weekends alone wasn't going to be feasible for a long while.

They shared the pancake responsibilities. She measured ingredients, he stirred, she poured the batter and Jacob flipped. Bella kept catching him staring at her.

She threw a dish towel at him. "What? I look a mess, don't I?" She'd pulled her wild hair up without even brushing it and slipped on her robe, but hadn't done much else to herself. She probably desperately needed a shower after all the sex they'd been having, but her hunger prevailed. She had to eat before anything else.

He shook his head, "No, you look perfect."

"Liar."

Jacob stepped in front of her. She squealed when he lifted her on top of the counter. "I wouldn't lie about that."

"The pancakes! Don't let them burn."

He reached over and switched off the burner and pushed the skillet to the back of the stove top.

Jacob stepped in between her legs. Her robe opened up. "I'm not wearing any undies."

"I'm well aware of that, Bells."

He closed the distance between them and kissed her breathless. She pulled back, "I'd have more energy if you fed me my pancakes first. They smell so scrumptious."

"Not as scrumptious as you."

"I probably smell like sex."

He nuzzled against her neck. "Exactly, mixed with your sweet natural scent and my precious pup. You're damned near intoxicating me right now. I want you again."

Bella wrapped her legs around his hips. His boxers did little to hide how much he meant that statement. She was ready to let the pancakes go cold. They could reheat them later. He stepped away a second and came back with half of a pancake in his hands.

"Bite?"

She took one hearty bite and hummed with pleasure as the taste covered her tongue. He opened his mouth wide to swallow the rest down.

"Hey, no fair. That was mine."

Jacob brought the whole stack over and they took turns taking big messy bites of chocolate chip pancakes out of each other's hands. Bella giggled at the sight of chocolate all over their fingers and lips. When she stopped laughing, she felt a tiny tickle in her belly. She thought she'd felt it a couple of times before but wasn't sure. It was way earlier than she felt Atticus, but the book said it happened that way in subsequent pregnancies. They were also able to find out they were having a girl way earlier than she thought was possible. No one else had found out the sex of their baby yet, but at her appointment last week, the nurse told them.

Bella grabbed Jake's hand and placed it over her stomach. She knew it was silly, that he couldn't feel that slight flutter, but she still liked it when he covered her belly with his hand.

"I wasn't joking. She likes the pancakes. I felt her."

Jacob rubbed over the slight swell just under her navel. "I can't believe I made a girl."

Bella patted his cheek. "Hey, I helped too. You didn't make her by yourself."

"Yeah, but it was my swimmer that made her a girl. That's science, Bells. I'm not being a chauvinist." Jacob knelt in front of her. "Hi, little princess. Mommy and Daddy love you. Thanks for giving us a thumbs up about the pancakes." He kissed her stomach. Jacob was so reverent with her when he talked to their child. He stood up. "This is everything. I'm so glad we're doing this. Everything was so fucked up when you were having Ace."

"I know. I love watching you fall in love with her. Look at me, I'm crying again."

He kissed both cheeks and reminded her they were happy tears. He asked if she was full and she said she better stop since they were grilling steaks later.

"Care for a shower and a nap?"

"Sure, does that include anything else?"

"Only, if you're up for it. It's been a long day and night, little Momma."

She reached for his crotch and stroked the reemergence of an erection. "You're definitely up for it."

He admitted as soon as he imagined cleaning up in the shower together, his blood pooled south. Bella grabbed tightly to his neck, he hoisted into his arms and carried her the short distance to the bathroom. Her robe was lost somewhere in the living room.

Their shower evolved from cleaning up to getting dirty again. Jacob was worried shower sex was too rough for her but her powers of persuasion were very convincing. Bella joked if she gained anymore weight he couldn't hold her up so easily.

"Please, you don't even feel heavier. I could hold you up all night even if you put on a hundred pounds."

She promised him she wouldn't gain that much in her pregnancy.

She appreciated so many things about her husband, but his strength was a plus. Jacob held her up like she was made of air. Her thighs rested on his arms as he drove himself in and out of her body against the shower wall. Bella loved the way their slick bodies felt smacking together under the spray, but the rental cabin didn't have much of a hot water heater. As soon as the first bit of cold water rained down on her head, she yelped. Jacob hit the water off. They fled the bathroom for the adjoining bedroom. The fire was still going so the room was nice and toasty.

He sat down with her on his lap. Bella kissed all over his face. "Is honeymoon sex the best sex ever?"

"Maybe or maybe our sex is the best sex ever. Let's test it again, climb back on my cock, Bells. I'm already feeling deprived without you there."

She positioned herself exactly where she needed to be again and slowly slid down on his erection inch by inch.

"Mmmm, I think you're right, husband. Being filled by you will never get old."

She moved her hips. "You're killing me, Bells. I was so close in the shower. I don't want this to end too soon."

Bella told him she had faith in his abilities to keep satisfying her. They had two full days left on their honeymoon. It was no time before she found her release, but before she fully came down from her high, he switched their position. Jacob knew exactly how to turn them over without breaking them apart. She was flat on her back with her legs against his chest.

He kept his weight off her as he plunged into her over and over without pausing. That's how it was with them. He knew how far to take it, when to pull back and to go slower, but also exactly how to fuck her senseless. This time, she begged for him, "Faster, harder, deeper."

He loved it when she was vocal. "So fucking sexy, my Bells. I love you."

She was at the peak of another orgasm. "I love you more."

* * *

Bella opened her eyes to the kisses that were tickling her ribs. She had no idea how long they'd been dozing.

"What are you doing?"

"Worshiping your body."

"Haven't you already done that multiple times?"

"Hit me hard if I ever forget one single second? You deserve more than I even know how to give."

Bella ran her fingers through the back of his hair. He was kissing his way across her stomach again.

She commented she should get up and make a call to see how Ace was doing. Jacob said he'd already checked. "He's fine. He's with his grandparents and plenty of other doting babysitters. He doesn't even miss us."

She stuck out her lip. "Don't say that. I don't want him to forget me."

Jacob climbed up her body to kiss her pout. "Kidding, Bells. Leah said he was babbling, 'Ma Ma Ma Ma' all the time, but he's happy. That's the important news."

"I want to video call them later. I need to see his squishy cheeks."

He promised they would if the signal cooperated. Jacob offered her some water. He said he should get up and start the steaks. He was starving and he knew she must be too. She said she was famished, but ran her foot up the back of his thigh as her hand sought out certain parts that she truly had a hunger for.

"Again? Jeez, lady. You're a maniac."

"Guilty. Are you going to make love to me again or not? I have needs too, these hormones are soaring and we're still making up for all those lost years."

He wrapped his body around hers and slid into her slick heat in one fluid motion. Her request was answered with action instead of words. They got busy doing what they craved most from each other. Sure, real life would creep back in when they left their honeymoon and every normal day would not be like this. Bella was certain even the days when she was crabby or too tired for sex or the house was a wreck or she was pissed at Jacob for one of his messes, that she would always feel this much love from him. They'd come a long way in a short amount of time. Moment like this had her looking forward to each day the future had in store for them.

* * *

Barry sandwiched his way in between Monica and Bella. It was just like the old days. Jacob reluctantly agreed to travel for a big job he was working on for Mr. Thumying. It would be their first time apart since she'd moved back to Washington. She missed him like crazy but it was only two nights. Bella rubbed her hand over her enlarged abdomen. She and Jacob had been married almost three months, Atticus had a birthday coming only weeks away. Their daughter would soon make an appearance as well. Life was moving in fast motion and she rarely ever stopped smiling.

"You did good, B, this is a damn nice house. It already feels homey too. Especially, this sofa. I feel like we're sitting on a cloud. Must have set the big guy back several grand."

Bella informed him they were literally sitting on Kaleigh's money.

"What?"

"Yep, she sent us a wedding gift. She reimbursed Jacob for all those crazy bills he inherited. It turned out she had the money the whole time to pay them off."

"She seemed like she was a force to be reckoned with either way you look at it, but you're officially done with her forever, right?"

"Yes, she is completely smitten with Jerome and told Jacob in her letter they are sure to marry eventually."

Bella agreed with Barry, she loved the way Jacob remodeled their dream house. They had a great view and were centrally located to most everyone on the res. She knew their home would be a constant hub for pack gatherings, but she didn't mind a bit.

Barry got busy locating what he wanted to watch, "Bar, I swear. Do we really have to watch this?"

"Zip it. Yes, you know I love this housewife shit. We have so many seasons to catch up on from multiple cities."

Barry insisted they catch up on trashy reality TV since Collin hated when he watched such things at home. Bella tended to agree with Collin, but after a few episodes, she was sucked in and talking about backstabbing bitches like she was one of the onscreen characters.

Monica leaned forward. "This is great, the three of us together again. I'm glad you invited us for a sleepover. Barry's right, this new house kicks ass. Would you ever have dreamed this scenario a year ago?"

Bella thought about where she was exactly a year ago. She was pregnant then too, but most nights ended with her bawling about being alone and Jacob being married to another woman. At least, some things were the same. She had her two best friends with her again.

Barry got up for more wine. He poured sparkling cider into Bella's glass. She was eager to start a new episode, but Barry paused it.

"Can I ask a serious question?"

"I don't know, can you?" He did a fake laugh in response to her dumb joke.

"You're in sync with this pack. Do you agree with me that Collin feels left out? There's absolutely nothing I can do about it either and every time I bring it up, he changes the subject."

"I don't even know what you're talking about. Left out of what?"

"The other guys are having pups, that's what."

"Oh, but not everyone is. The teenagers certainly aren't and Brady is very much a confirmed bachelor. Quil's not having one either, of course."

Monica made a weird noise in the back of her throat at the mention of Quil.

"I know, but you know what I mean. I think Collin wants a kid too."

Monica reminded him tons of gay parents existed. "Then have one. You could definitely adopt, but why would you want to already? You guys are still brand new as a couple."

Barry and Bella both knew how intense the relationship with a wolf could get. New wasn't exactly the same to them.

Barry said he would love to adopt one day, but this was about Collin's wolf and his desire for procreation. "And you know, we can't bring some stranger into this crazy world where we reside. I highly doubt any of these possessive creatures would share one of their mate's uterus to carry our child either. This is one instance I regret I'm not a woman for my man."

Bella wrapped her arm around him. "Barry, you and Collin are exactly who you both need to be. This isn't the time to second guess your relationship. From what I hear, Collin struggled in the beginning worrying he was letting the guys down for being different. He tried to fit in and he was miserable. If it's true that he wants his own biological child then he'll tell you about it when he's ready. I think you're worrying for nothing because one day, I can totally picture you both being excellent parents. My gosh, you're practically Ace's third parent as it is. You will be a father one day, I'm sure of it, but don't force the issue. It will happen when it's time."

Monica blurted out, "Fine, I'll do it, but not this year. I'm looking forward to having a banging summer body this season." Bella and Barry busted out laughing. "What? I said I'd be your surrogate, that's awfully damn generous if I do say myself. Why are you both laughing?"

Barry wasn't even being insulting. He simply stated facts, motherhood and Monica didn't really go together. Truth was, she was sweet to Atticus and the other kids that came around, but from the beginning, she never would take care of Bella's son alone and Bella wouldn't be comfortable with it either. To hear her volunteer for such a selfless act did seem like a joke.

Monica took offense immediately. "Well, screw off then. That's the last time I try and be nice."

"Monica, being a surrogate mother takes a little more thought than being nice. No offense, hun. I just don't think you'd go through with it. Bella's right, we aren't in a rush. I was just thinking out loud."

"Yes, of course, you would need the mighty Alpha Queen's approval on everything. She is all-knowing and full of solutions. More like full of something else, but let's drop and start back this shit TV."

Bella had no idea where all that hostility was coming from. "Lower your voice, Mon. Ace is sleeping. What the hell is your deal? This was supposed to be a roomie reunion. I don't know what you're getting so pissed about. If you have a problem with me then fill me in what I did, exactly. What did I ever do to you, but care about you and make sure you're protected?"

"Sure you did at first, but then you turned on me. Just admit it. You don't think I'm good enough for your pack. Barry is, but I never made the cut and you've been stabbing me in the back since I got here."

"That's not true. Is this about Quil? I didn't know the full story when I first mentioned him to you. There's things you don't understand. All of us are still learning if you want the whole truth."

"Oh, I understand plenty. You all have been warped with all this supernatural mess... imprints and markings. If you'd really take a minute of clarity, you'd see that it's sick. Quil shouldn't be attached to the little bratty bitch and yet you're encouraging it. Neither of you have any idea what life has been like for me, the pressure that I'm under. I'm split in two parts and I'm literally damned if I do, damned if I don't."

Barry tried to secretly pull Monica's wine glass away. She snapped at him that her tantrum wasn't about being drunk. Bella didn't know what else could've caused her strange outburst. What was she even talking about _they didnt' know?_ The three of them lived together for years. They knew her inside and out.

"It's obvious you're becoming attached, but I thought you were fine with only being friends?"

"Go to hell! You and Bar get hot sexy men and I get a buddy while I'm stuck on this godforsaken reservation. How's that for fair? Maybe, I could be a good person again if I had a sweet protector that wouldn't let the monsters claim me as well. For a second, I almost thought anything was possible, but thanks for opening my eyes again to just how bad my life sucks."

"I'm sorry Monica. I had no idea you were hurting so much. Please, calm down. You can tell us anything, you know that right?"

Monica frantically shook her head the whole time she gathered her stuff to leave. Barry tried to stop her. Their evening was ruined. Bella didn't realize how stressful the situation had gotten for Monica. She didn't have a clue what was going on. This seemed like more than her having unreturned feelings for Quil.

Collin opened the door. He said they heard shouting. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine, I was just leaving."

Barry pulled Collin aside and asked it he would drive Monica back home and see that she got inside safely.

Bella immediately got on the phone with her mother to see if she'd check on her when she got back. Renee confirmed that the mood swings were getting worse and that it's especially bad after Monica's early morning phone calls. Bella assumed those calls were from Monica's mother.

She fell back on the couch with Barry and started to cry. "Am I the worst friend in history?"

"No, babe. She's losing it. We were joking around, she totally wigged out. That's not our Mon. I have no idea what's going on with her? She's about to make it worse too."

"How so?"

"She's going to try and seduce Quil. I told her not to."

"He'll break her heart. I should warn him."

"No idea what is actually going on, but I think Monica's heart is already broken."

At least, Barry and Bella salvaged a little bit of the evening. He made her fudge brownies and the two of the watched two more hours of TV together. He carried her to bed when she fell asleep. Barry joined her for a little while since she was woke up groggy and asked him to sit with her longer. He told her not to let the shit Monica said get to her.

"You're really good at this job and I doubt you were ever given an instruction manual."

"Nope, not even a pamphlet. I just want to help her."

"You can't. She needs to help herself. She seems really bitter right now. Oh yeah, I was going to gossip earlier but we never got the chance."

"Really, about what?"

"I know something you don't know."

Barry tickled her as he kept up his teasing "Stop, tell me. What do you think you know?"

He said it was a good thing she was already in the bed because this news would put her on her ass. "Brady is no longer happily fishing the seas. He got hooked."

"No way, by who?"

"You gals are there day in and day out, but you're all blind apparently. Brady and Brit are getting it on. Zane's going to get a step-daddy. Mark my words. I'm never wrong."

"But Brit's a mom and she's a lot older."

"Not that much, she got pregnant young and besides, Brady's into it, the whole cougar vibe." He knocked on her head. "Pay attention, B."

"Well, I'm getting Jake to speak to him. Brit doesn't deserve anymore games after what her ex did. Are you sure Brady wants to settle down?"

"Positive. This pack is in great shape or it will be once we help our friend. I don't like the dark places she's dwelling in."

Bella closed her eyes and remembered how things had gone with Monica, she whispered, "me either," before drifting off to sleep again.

* * *

Sure enough, Quil was a gentleman when Monica went through with her plans, but he had to let her down easy. However, she didn't take it well. She'd been isolating herself in her room for weeks now and no one could get through to her. It was like she'd become a complete stranger to Barry and Bella.

Bella had a surprise visitor one afternoon.

"Hey, Claire, who dropped you off?"

"Aunt Emily. I thought I'd come play with Ace or do some cleaning for you. Aunt Kim says you're all nesting. Is that true?"

Bella said sometimes she was, but other times she craved a long nap. It was sweet that Claire wanted to help.

They had a seat in the family room while Atticus played with his over-sized block set. Bella couldn't help but notice Claire staring at her shoulder. It was a warm day and she was heavily pregnant so she was wearing a sundress with spaghetti straps.

"Does it hurt?"

Bella knew what she meant. The mark.

"No."

"It feels good, doesn't it?"

She felt a little uneasy wondering where this line of questioning might go. Bella thought Claire would be more comfortable discussing this with Emily or Kim.

"Yes, the mark connects me to Jake. It's a symbol of our love, much like Atticus."

All the mates, imprints or not were marked after the attack if they weren't already. Claire knew this. Everyone knew.

"Zane says it might break the imprint with Quil."

"Whoa, hold on. Claire, are you and Zane... "

"No, of course not. He's talking about in the future, when I'm ready. He says I'm sad or mad all the time and he's just trying to help."

Jeesh, Bella breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

"Is he pressuring you, because honestly, Uncle Jake will set him straight." And Quil, but Bella didn't think that was a topic to bring up to him unless they were eager to witness a murder in La Push. "You can tell us. I know how teenage boys can get."

"Can I be honest?"

"Yes, honey, of course."

"Yes and no. I think he's pressuring me, not for actual sex, but maybe more like pressuring me to prove I love him more. I'm just really confused."

"I know. It's a very confusing situation and I truly believe sex would add to that. You're still so young."

Claire folded her arms in front of her. "Yes, I hear that a lot."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way, you're also very mature for your age. I know some kids your age are already sexually active. I'm just leery for you to rush things along since you admit you're confused."

"Quil is always quick to point out he thinks I'm just a girl. Wonder what he'd think if Zane made me a woman?"

Bella's instincts kicked in. Her eyes were opened. "You said you wanted to be honest, Claire. Are you with Zane, to prove to Quil you've grown up?"

She got very quiet and seemed to take forever to answer Bella. "I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand. I really do care about Zane."

"Of course you do, sweetie."

Claire got emotional and said she didn't know what to do anymore. "What if I break Zane's heart and he ends up hating me? What if Quil falls in love with Monica and she gets marked? I'll lose both of them."

Bella assured her Quil and Monica were barely speaking anymore and that would never happen. She scooted in closer and hugged the sobbing girl. Bella was a grown woman and a mother and she still had a hard time wrapping her mind around the connection with Jacob all those months ago. She felt lots of compassion for her. Claire eventually calmed down and lifted off Bella's shoulder. She kept her hand close like she was asking permission. Bella knew she needed the connection so she silently gave her permission. Claire lovingly caressed her fingers over Bella's double mark proving they were indeed connected like sisters. Not everyone could get away with touching a mating mark. Monica tried to touch it in the beginning and Bella actually took a swing at her, it felt so uncomfortable. Claire's touch felt natural, like Rachel's or any of the other mates.

"It's so beautiful. It's like I can feel the love."

Bella covered her hand. "We do love you, Claire. You're our sister."

"Tell me what you think will happen. You're so good with reading everyone."

"I think that in three or four years, you and Quil are going to fulfill your imprint. I think we were all wrong to assume you were so different since you were a child when he imprinted. There's no reason not to believe that your love will flourish and grow just like the rest of us. I know these next few years while you continue to mature, will be difficult, but the end result will be worth the wait. I think you know what you need to do as far as Zane is concerned also. Take it from me, you don't want to make a devastating mistake. Those are so hard to recover from."

"I miss him."

"I figured you did and he misses you. Hey, I was going to make burgers tonight. Wanna help? I have extra and I was going to bake cupcakes."

"Extra enough for a bottomless pit?"

"Yep, two of 'em. Why don't you call Quil while I pull up my recipes on my tablet?"

"Let's make filled ones! Quil loves peanut butter."

"I know. That's a great idea and Jake loves the cream filled ones. We'll make both kinds."

"Maybe we can put on stupid Adam Sandler movies after we eat. Quil loves those."

Bella dropped a stack of pans like a klutz. "Oh yeah, but we've seen all of them at least a dozen times."

"No, there's a new one, like a western or something."

Bella blushed. She knew about it but was playing dumb. "Okay, you can suggest it, but don't tell Jake I have a wicked crush on that one actor."

Claire laughed out loud, "Oh, I know who you're talking about. Uncle Jake would be so jealous."

"Yes, he would, so it's our little secret. Every woman is entitled to one secret celebrity crush." Claire held up her little finger and they pinky-sweared to keep it to themselves.

* * *

Jacob pulled her aside in the kitchen since Claire volunteered to change Ace in the nursery. "I hope you know what you're doing?"

"Trust me. They both need a safe place to feel normal again. It's going to be fine, better than fine."

Jacob said he did trust her. He gave her a quick kiss as soon as he heard a knock at the door. "Why's that idiot knocking?"

"He's being courteous and mature. Go answer it."

Claire breezed past them with the baby on her hip. "Wait, Uncle Jake, I'll get it."

Jacob and Bella stopped and watched Claire swing open the door. Quil was dressed nice and carrying two separate bouquets. He seemed frozen for a few minutes as he took it all in. There was Claire extremely happy to see him for a change and she was looking more grown up each day. The fact she held a baby in her arms was probably sending all sorts of signals to Quil's wolf. He finally shook his head to escape his trance. He handed one bunch of flowers to the mother-to-be and the other to Claire. Jacob took their son so the ladies could put their flowers in water.

"Flowers, jerk? Trying to make me look bad?"

"I can't help it if you're not as classy as me, Black." Then Quil picked up one of Claire's carefully constructed gourmet chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling and crammed the whole damn thing into his big mouth. He repeated, "Classy," with his mouthful of cake, frosting and peanut butter.

Claire punched him in the gut. "Where are your manners, you big lug? We haven't even eaten burgers yet. I swear, one day if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to get you trained. Sorry, Aunt Bella." She started trying to clean up the crumbs in Quil's wake.

Quil smiled with a new confidence Bella hadn't seen before when Claire dabbed a napkin next to his mouth to whisk away some leftover chocolate. He patted her on top of the head. "You got taller."

Bella noted she was already taller than her. Claire was a beautiful child and it was obvious to anyone looking she was evolving into a beautiful young woman. Her long, wavy black hair fell down her back. She was tall for her age and filling out in all the places that made her feminine. She met Quil's dark eyes with her own sparkly green ones and joked, "Trying to catch up a little to my gentle giant." Bella didn't need supernatural hearing to catch the gulp Quil made.

Jacob broke the spell when he guided Quil out of the kitchen. Bella heard him add, "Take a deep breath, baby steps, go a little slower."

"How slow?"

"About three, preferably four years slow, bro."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **If you have read my other stories, you would know I have never pursued the Quil/Claire relationship because it made me uncomfortable. So, of course, that meant I had to go for it at least once. #teamClaire wins this time. I appreciate all the opinions on this subject.**_

 _ **Anyone catch the funny I made when Bella and Claire were chatting?**_

 _ **Not into revealing too much, but now is the time to get your prescriptions in order or pull out that bottle of wine or two you've been saving cuz we're about to go crazy!**_


	53. Chapter 53

_**~Pay close attention. I threw a curve ball at all of you straight out of the gate with this one. This chapter is chocked full of important details. I mean, seriously, you have no idea how much this chapter means to me. I've written countless chapters, but this one is going down as one of my favorites to develop.**_

 _ **Thanks to my inspiring friend, plainjanedee, for suggesting Bruno Mars, "Locked Out of Heaven" I wasn't going to update so soon, but I wanted to dedicate this chapter to her. She deserves a gift today and she helps me through so much, you have no idea how crazy I get when the muse disappears. I have tried to quit for life millions of times, but PJD won't let me.**_

Chapter 53: Darkness Falls

Bella's swollen feet ached. She was looking forward to her nightly foot rub from Jake. Willow jogged in the side door in search of water. The kids were all over having a playday which was a usual occurrence.

"I'll have lunch ready in a few minutes. What are the boys up to?" Bella always felt better when Willow was keeping an eye on Ace. The boys tended to get caught up in some type of mischief and didn't watch him as closely.

Who was she kidding? Her four-year-old was the leader of all things mischievous. He was an absolute mess and a daredevil.

"They're watching Ace do tricks."

"Wait, what tricks?"

"On the trampoline."

Dammit, she told Jake they didn't need a trampoline, but he insisted it would be a blast. She didn't feel so apprehensive when she realized it came with a net, but those ruffians ruined the net before the first year was up. Paul and Sam's boys destroyed everything they touched.

She was puzzled why the older boys were interested in watching the tricks of a much younger child. After all, she'd caught them doing all sorts of daring activities on the trampoline several times.

"What tricks?"

Willow bit her lip. She was responsible, but like most kids, didn't want to be labeled a tattletale. "Willow." She said in a warning tone. "I asked a question. Answer me. What tricks was Ace doing?"

"Um, he bounces really high. Ryder and Sage are trying to record a video for YouTube." Bella knew immediately, that didn't sound right. She rushed out of the house as fast as her pregnant butt would carry her. She told Willow to stay inside with Zoe.

She headed for the side yard by the guest cabin where the play area was. She could hear the loud antics before she could see for herself.

There was a synchronized sound of clapping hands in unison and a chant echoing in the air, "Do it, do it!"

Ryder saw his aunt first and immediately brought his phone down to his side. All subsequent dares and claps quickly faded out. The kids all went silent. Bella felt her heart sink to her toes. She was scared to death at first and then she got mad, really mad.

"Atticus Charles Ephraim Black, what in the world do you think you're doing up there? Don't move. I need to figure out how to get you down before you break your neck." Bella wildly pointed her finger around at all the older kids. Even the other girls were participating in this dangerous dare. "Who put him up on the roof? I'm calling everyone's parents right this second."

She was relieved when she heard Jacob's truck coming down the drive. "Your father's here. You are all in for it now. Don't move, Ace. I mean it."

No one was volunteering how her tiny child was on top of the cabin's roof. She screamed to Jacob to hurry, there was an emergency. She heard his door slam and he was at her side in no time.

Ace waved, "Hi, Daddy."

Bella snapped, "I said don't move."

"Whoa, how'd you get up there, buddy?" Did her ears deceive her? Jacob was chuckling when he asked that question.

"He climbs, Uncle Jake."

Bella disputed that lie from Sage. She knew he climbed, but no way did he climb on top of houses. "He does not, either you or Ryder put him up there. It doesn't matter, all of you are deep trouble for not coming to get me."

"No, Momma, I climb. I promise. I get down. Watch."

Bella shrieked so loud, the whole pack was probably alerted by her distress call. Willow walked up holding Zoe who was clapping for her big brother. He'd jumped off the cabin onto the trampoline before either her or Jacob could stop him.

Ryder cursed, "Damn, we missed it." Bella glared at him and he immediately apologized. "Sorry. I mean, I'm really sorry, Aunt Bella. He never gets hurt, I swear. Are you really calling my mother?"

"Yes." As soon as she saw Ace was perfectly fine from his little stunt, she pulled Jacob to the side. "You better do something about this. Did you hear that? He's done it before. I'm so upset right now, I'm going to put myself into labor and we don't want these twins born too soon."

"Honey, he's adventurous. You gotta hand it to him. He shows no fear and that's pretty impressive."

"No, not impressive in the least. It's not time for bravery, he's only four."

"Practically five, Bells. His birthday's in a few weeks." She was giving him the look that he knew she meant business. "It's not a regular roof. He wasn't that high. You're over-reacting."

"Stop. Don't say another word to me. Handle it right now like a parent, not a buddy. I don't ever want to walk out and catch my son about to fall to his death again. I'm going in the house."

* * *

That would have been plenty of drama, but not thirty minutes went by before Lizzie ran in screaming that Willow wrecked her bike. Jacob and Bella ran outside to see how bad. Sage was upset. He felt responsible. They'd designed an obstacle course for their bikes and scooters. Jacob told Bella to run back in for the first aid kit. Willow was still on the ground holding her arm. They were supposed to wear their helmets and it was a good thing Willow was always obedient about that. Of course, Ace was immediately in the thick of it. He was the first one to run to comfort his cousin.

Bella came back out expecting to witness blood and scrapes, hopefully not a broken bone. Instead, Willow was up, without a tear and apparently, shaking it off.

"Wait, you're okay, honey? Do you need a band-aid?"

"No Ma'am, I'm just going to wash the dirt off. It hurt really bad, but only for a second."

Willow walked passed Bella. She told Jake that was another relief. Two major crises were averted.

"I thought it looked worse when she was on the ground,"

Jacob was shaking his head in disbelief. "Me too." He agreed, even Willow said she thought she was bleeding. She said she felt sharp pain at her elbow and her arm got really warm. "I peeled her hand back and looked. It was fine, not even a scrap. She just got dirty. These pack kids are strong. That's what I keep telling you, honey."

"Not invincible, even their fathers need to admit that. _None_ of you are invincible."

Ace took Bella's hand. "I love Willow."

"I know you do, baby. We all do."

"I not let Willow hurt."

Bella knelt down so she could hug her son. He might be the most extreme daredevil four-year-old she'd ever witnessed, but he also had the most tender heart she'd ever come across.

"You're sweet, son, but no more climbing. Daddy told you, right?"

"Yes, I stay down."

Jacob winked at him. Bella didn't miss that. She had this feeling he told him some crap about not climbing when his mom was around. She'd get the truth out of him later. She was just relieved everyone was safe and there were no actual injuries to report today. Hopefully, everyday would be the same.

* * *

Bella was driving the kids over to the tribal center. Jacob had gone after Edward. They had regular meetings with one or all of the Cullen's to go over safety and updates. Of course, years had gone by without any threats from Aro. No one actually believed he truly gave up no matter how much time went by. According to Carlisle, the Romanians gave him fits for several years but they'd been recently dealt with, permanently. That's why they were refreshing procedures once again, just in case.

When Bella unbuckled Ace, he asked a question, "Are you mad?"

"No baby. I'm not mad, but you scared me yesterday. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I climb good."

Atticus was so energetic and smart. He excelled in his physical development, he was practically running by ten months of age. She couldn't keep him in a crib to save her life. Just like he always mentioned, he climbed... climbed out, over and up pretty much nonstop. However, his speech had always been a little behind. Bella became worried when he was about eighteen months and was barely saying more the repetitive babbling sounds. It was the pediatrician that reminded her it could be the stress of a new sibling. He checked out perfect with his hearing and eyesight. Carlisle also told her not to worry about it. Some children had delayed speech and it was perfectly normal and had nothing to do with intelligence. Bella never questioned her son's intelligence, he was scary smart.

"I know that you're an excellent climber, runner, jumper, you name it, but... " She decided to use a little reverse psychology, "but Zoe watches everything you do. You need to be more careful and set a safe example."

"Zoe baby."

They were only fourteen months apart, but Zoe still liked being the baby of the family, especially Daddy's baby. He would roll her up in a blanket cocoon most nights for story time. It was perfectly fitting since he nicknamed her his little bouncing junebug before she was ever born. Their sweet baby girl was in for a huge surprise when her brothers arrived.

Jacob was already there with Edward and Rose. They had been working with Bella for a long time. However, she still wasn't where she needed to be controlling the shield. Once, they brought in the relative from Alaska. That was the biggest breakthrough she'd ever had. Kate hurt Jacob and Bella figured out how to protect him with her shield. Edward thought it was extremely important Atticus receive training as well. Bella was reluctant to push him too much because of his age. Before Ace was even a year old, Edward determined after several experiments with newborns at the hospital and other children he could get close to that her son exhibited the same gift she did. He said he heard the others loud and clear, but never a peep from her son. He also constantly insisted, Atticus was way stronger and they had only scratched the surface to his powers.

Ace extended his little fingers, "Hi, Eh."

Edward scowled every time Ace called him "Eh" and Jacob laughing each time he said it only annoyed him more. Jake thought it made Edward sound so unimportant. Edward still had impeccable manners and seemed to let it go pretty quickly. He greeted Ace formally in return, "Nice to see you again, Atticus. I heard you had an adventure yesterday."

Bella frowned at Jake. No matter how freaked out she was, he was always bragging about their son's antics, even to the Cullens.

He confirmed his talents to Edward, "I climb good. Mommy's mad."

Rose got down low to the floor to wave at Zoe. She placed a woven halo of flowers over the crown of her head. She was always giving her gifts. "Boys. They're so silly, aren't they Zoe?"

Zoe felt her head and Rose assured her she looked like a real princess.

* * *

After a lengthy chat, Bella and Edward stepped outside alone. "He pretends he likes me, but he refuses to let me in because technically, I'm the enemy. He knows, at four years old, he knows he's controlling the shield. I don't believe for a second he can't pronounce my name. You and Jacob need to work with him more."

"I highly doubt that, Edward. He doesn't understand and you know he's always been behind in his speech. Calm down, he isn't manipulating you for crying out loud. The shield is difficult, it's like an unlocked entity hidden inside of us. Look how long it took me to tap into it and I still struggle. I'm not pressuring him and I won't allow anyone else to. He's only a toddler."

"Not a normal toddler. I don't know why you are always downplaying his abilities. He has always been ahead physically and mentally. You know what I think, he tones down his speech to blend in because he doesn't want to alarm you anymore than he already does. He is holding out on all of us. Let's hope Aro never realizes what I've come to realize or I assure you, the waiting game will be over."

Bella didn't like this kind of talk from anyone, especially Edward. Atticus was her special, but very normal child. She wanted him to be free to be a kid. One of the reasons she stayed human and had this family with Jacob, was because Bella craved a nice, peaceful life. Normal sounded like paradise to her after years of entanglement with the supernatural.

"What do you want to see anyway?"

"I want to see what else he's hiding. You know I hate to admit this, but I'm telling you the combination of yours and the dog's DNA resulted in something extraordinary."

"Thanks, I think. What about Zoe? She's ours and you read her fine. Can't she tell you anything?"

"Zoe is a fabulous child as well. She is her mother's daughter, but she thinks in blips: flowers, princesses, dolls, chicken nuggets, ice cream. Not necessarily in that order."

"Don't lie? You've tried to listen to my unborn twins, haven't you?"

"Yes, and I don't hear a thing."

"Maybe that's because they're not born yet."

He said no because he pretended to be a pharmaceutical rep once and waited in a waiting room full of pregnant ladies. He heard all sorts of things. Bella grimaced. If that wasn't a tad creepy, she didn't know what was.

"So the twins will be like Atticus?"

"Maybe, but only time will tell or maybe Atticus is a one of a king. How much longer do you have? You look rather... "

He shut up before he said the wrong thing. She knew she was enormous, but didn't need to hear it from him, "Six weeks, if I make it. Twins are often early."

Jacob came out with one kid under each arm. Edward and Rose were in the process of saying their goodbyes when he added Zoe wanted french fries with extra ketchup for dinner.

She agreed, "Fri fri, pwease."

Jacob growled. "Stay outta my little girl's head, weirdo."

"I was merely proving a point to Bella. I meant no harm. What about you, Atticus? Think of anything, anything at all. It's like a guessing game. You think and I'll guess."

Bella and Jake both said it was okay. "You can think of dinner like sister did. That's all you have to do."

Ace wiggled to get down so Jacob put him back on the ground. Their son walked directly in front of Edward and stared intently into his golden eyes. Minutes passed, they all held their breath, so to speak, before Ace made a declaration, "You smell yuck." He then grabbed Zoe's hand and the two trotted off to the car, skipping happily like children so often did.

Jacob couldn't contain his laughter, Bella shoved him, but he kept laughing longer than necessary, "He's all yours, dog. You put him up to that, I'm sure."

"No, I didn't. I would have said something way worse than 'yuck.' Next time, I want to see the pixie. She better damn well have a vision for me soon. She's so lame, she never could even find Monica for us. I swear, her psychic license needs revoking."

Bella felt a sense of loss when Jacob brought up Monica. She made it over two full years on the reservation with them, but after the rejection and heartbreak of not moving forward with Quil and a subsequent bout with depression, she fled one night without as much as a note. None of them had heard from her since.

Bella managed to get in touch with Monica's mother. That had only added to the mystery. Because they all thought that's who Monica was in touch with regularly, but the mother insisted they'd been estranged since Monica ran off at nineteen. She even said Monica never came back when her grandmother was dying. That threw them all for a loop. Monica said her mom was a nut-job. Someone was lying and when they added everything up, all signs pointed at Monica. Barry took it hard, but there was nothing they could do now. It was like she disappeared off the face of the earth. Bella hoped wherever she was, she'd found happiness and that she remained safe.

* * *

Bella rested against Jacob's chest. He made her night easy by taking them out to dinner. Zoe ate more ketchup than anything else and Jacob still bought her a milkshake to share with her brother.

"Did you tell Ace to say that Edward smelled?"

"No, but maybe he picked up on that from the legends we teach the younger generation about the cold ones."

"I don't think that's all it was."

"I don't either, but I didn't want you to worry. You already worry about him too much."

"What about the other boys?"

"Sam mentioned something recently about sensitive hearing with Ryder. I wasn't too concerned since he and Sage are way closer to the age of the latest ones."

A year ago, the pack gained two new members, one thirteen, one fourteen. The pack was sixteen strong. Leah thought maybe she'd stick to motherhood only when Raelyn was born, but at six weeks postpartum, her wolf re-emerged. She and Bella were the only ones to have girls during the boom. All the rest had boys. Jacob said the pack continued to sense danger as well as the need to protect, to grow in numbers and strength. They'd all accepted the fact that another generation would overlap, veterans and new ones working together.

"But the boys."

He finished her sentence, "Are part of this legacy. We're not going to tell them to stop like before."

"Except for my son. You will tell him 'no' or I will. He isn't the same as the older boys."

Jacob held her a little tighter and kissed the side of her head. "We have to wait and see, honey. I can't make that promise to you. You're right, he's most definitely not like all the other boys. The bloodsucker's also right in this instance. He's holding back. He's stronger than you think and he's capable of things I can't wrap my mind around." Jacob said he'd been putting off having a long talk with him. He overheard him telling Zoe a story recently when they were supposed to be in bed.

"What kind of story?"

"It was just a story, but he was pretty damn articulate for a few minutes until he heard me in the hall, then he changed his delivery. I was being my usual stealth self and he sensed me."

Bella remembered those couple of times Jacob gave permission for Carlisle to test Ace's blood, but they couldn't get it to work. "Jake, have you ever seen him bleed?"

"What?"

"Atticus wouldn't bleed for Carlisle's blood test. He is the roughest kid on the reservation. I've never put a band-aid on him."

"I'm sure he bleeds, Bells. His heart is beating which means blood's pumping through his veins. He's just been lucky, I guess."

"I'm scared."

"Don't. We got this. Everything's been going fine, we're all a little worked up about the Romanian news. Relax, how many are helping you tomorrow?"

"I don't know, maybe three or four."

"I'll double it. Then we're going to have an important pack meeting and we'll end the day with a big bonfire. You deserve a celebration in your honor."

Bella had landed a national magazine article. They were coming to La Push the following week to do a full spread on the cultural center she helped establish. Collin's clinics were getting a mention as well. Some of the guys were going to help her with a few manual labor tasks and the heavy lifting she wasn't capable of doing herself. She was determined the place would be in tip-top shape for the pictures.

Jacob rubbed his hand over her taut abdomen. "How are my boys? You sure you're up for all this extra work this week?"

"Yes, I'm feeling great."

Jacob had a skill for finding the resting place for each twin. He already knew Maximus was coming out first. He was curled lower on her right side but Rebel was always kicking her high just under her ribs. There was a great debate about these names, but Jacob had insisted he get to name the boys, since Bella named the first two children. He told them goodnight and that he loved them.

She tilted her head up to give him a kiss goodnight, but his mouth felt so comforting and pleasing against her lips, she didn't want to stop. Jacob's kisses washed away all the anxious thoughts and worries she'd accumulated over the past few days. He was cautious because Bella was in the latter stages of a twin pregnancy. Every time they managed to make love, he'd always say it was the last time until the boys arrived, but Bella insisted it was still perfectly safe. She'd recently had a checkup and was experiencing a textbook pregnancy.

She wiggled her bottom against him while her hands explored whatever warm skin she could feel behind her. "Please, Jake. If you don't touch me right now, I'll start to think you find me hideous."

He moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck. "You know that's a lie. I think you're beautiful pregnant. I always tell you."

"But am I still desirable to you?"

He moved one hand up to her full breast so he could tweak her hardened nipple. His other hand caressed the place where she grew their twin sons. After a few minutes of soft kisses to her neck, shoulders and back, Jacob reached in between them and pulled away her tank top. His fingers walked down her hip and looped under the edge of her panties. She raised her heavy bottom up as he removed them. His boxers disappeared next so they were fully skin on skin.

Bella twisted her head around, so she could kiss his greedy lips. He moved his hand further south. She opened her legs wider for her husband so he could soothe that delicate ache she suffered whenever he turned her on to the point of no return. They'd both said it before, but pregnancy sex was pretty damn hot. He rubbed her swollen sex spreading her desire all around.

"You're so fucking sexy, Bells." He kissed his mark causing her to buck her hips into his hand. "I desire you always. Don't ever question that."

She moaned in response to what his fingers were doing to her. "Please, Jake. I need you."

He didn't tease her or make her wait any longer. Jacob slipped in between her folds with ease. That moment always took her breath away. Their bodies joined together completing the union their souls continuously endured.

Bella urged him to move. He pumped his engorged cock in and out of her as they lay side by side. As soon as she was nearing her peak, she tossed a leg over him. He slipped his bulky thigh in between hers so that their legs were stacked together like missing pieces of a puzzle. Three bumps against her sensitive spot and she was exploding in pleasure all over her lover.

Jacob nipped her earlobe. He urged her on with his words. "You like that, huh. You're so wet, baby, it's dripping down my balls."

She couldn't even form a response with her words. He insisted she do it again the same way and minutes later, she did. They kept it up until Jacob said he couldn't hold back any longer. He gripped his fingers around her hips as drove into her slick heat.

He rolled her clit between his thumb and forefinger. "You're going to come with me."

It wasn't he question, he was telling her what to do. Seconds later, Bella's belly tightened, her core pulsed with powerful sensations. Her mind blurred, warmth overwhelmed her as every muscle inside her body twitched and tingled. Every thrust felt deeper. Each one pushed her closer to the finish line. Jacob growled in her ear. "Fuck, baby, you feel so good."

His rough sexy voice coaxed her the rest of the way. They exploded together like so many times before. She'd never tire of that incredible physical and emotional release. She was completely wiped out, but her body continued to hum all over for several minutes. Bella went pliant in Jacob's embrace.

She heard the worry in his reaction, "Shit, Bells. I'm sorry. I got carried away. It was too much. Are you okay? Is it the babies? You're having contractions aren't you?"

She politely nodded. "Just a little bit, it's normal though. Hand me some water." She knew if she slowly sipped on some water and stayed still, focused on her deep breathing, that she'd relax and so would her uterus.

"That's it, that was definitely the last time."

Bella turned toward him, found his lips and gave him a soft kiss. "Hey, watch what you say. It'll never be our last time."

"I mean until after the boys get here and you've had time to heal. I'm just going to have to resort to self-love for a couple of months, but I've been there before plenty of times."

"Jake, I'm fine. It was just... "

"Fucking amazing."

"Yes, so incredible and very intense." They kissed again.

"I love you."

"Seriously, babe. I love everything about our life. You're an amazing husband. You provide for us and yet you support my interests and passions. Our kids are beyond fortunate to have you for a father. You balance so many things and do all of them well. It's almost ridiculous and I never imagined I could love you more than I did the day we got married, but I do. I keep falling more and more in love with you."

He kissed the tip of her nose, "Jeez, woman, give you a couple of orgasms and you go all sentimental. I think you're embellishing my abilities a bit, but I agree, our love is a powerful thing."

Bella twisted his nipple. "A couple? It was more like four, maybe a hint of a fifth one. I don't even know, they ran together at times. It's not just the sex talking. I meant every compliment."

They snuggled into their comfortable position. Jacob adjusted the pillow she used under her enormous stomach.

"I like you too, Bells, but no more seductions. That was fuck hot, but you're getting really... " Jacob's voice trailed off. He was choosing his words carefully.

"I'm getting really, what?"

"Nothing. Um, far along, that's all I was going to say."

"Watch it, Black. Edward almost slipped up and called me big today, too."

"Oh, that's just wrong. Don't ever bring his name up in our bedroom."

"Sorry, my bad. I know what I look like. I've never looked this huge."

"No honey, you've never been more beautiful." They gave each other a final goodnight kiss. "Sweat dreams, we have a big day tomorrow."

* * *

"I can't believe you wanted to come to work with Mommy. Claire was going to make cookies with Zoe later. You could've stayed at home and played."

Atticus insisted on going to the tribal center with her. She gave in when he followed her around the house this morning while she was getting ready. She told him he could go, but no distracting his uncles. They could play at the bonfire tonight, but this morning was all about getting chores done. She knew he really liked to hang out in the section geared towards children. He worked puzzles and colored pictures in there whenever he accompanied her to work. Now that she had added a crate of building blocks, he was even more attached. Jacob claimed he was sure to follow in his footsteps, he was such a clever builder.

Bella and Ace started the big coffee maker in the kitchen area before the guys arrived. He insisted on standing on a chair beside her so he could fill the carafe. She was having four dozen donuts delivered as well. They would work harder on a caffeine and sugar high. The sound of the double doors opening and closing alerted her, the men had arrived. Jacob was always true to his word, he sent extras. Zane and Quil walked in first. Those two had come a long way. Zane struggled with a little heartbreak in the beginning, but he and Claire had maintained a strong friendship. He'd recently met a nice girl from college. Bella could thank Brady for taking the reigns and being a strong male role model when he became the official step-dad. They were all super excited that Brady and Brit were having their first child together about three months after Bella's due date.

Quil and Claire decided to use chaperons for the remainder years until she was an adult. It was important to Quil to not cross the line, so they always hung out with the group or at least another couple. She would be eighteen soon. She and Quil already felt like one of the other couples to Bella, but they had a made a promise to wait to be out in the open until that monumental birthday.

Embry, Collin and one of the pups announced their arrival next. Seth surprised her as well. He showed up last and told her a car was approaching. "Should I go check it out?"

Bella said, "Not so fast. You know damn well that's the donut lady. I'll intercept that delivery." Ace slipped his hand in Bella's when she turned towards the exit. "You stay put. I'm grabbing the donuts."

"No, Mommy! Don't!" he sounded a little bratty.

She didn't know what his deal was other than getting up too earlier, but then he started shaking almost like a convulsion. Bella screamed. All the guys rushed to his side. Collin told her to back up, but she refused to let go of her son. She barely had seconds to know the gravity of the situation. The doors to the center shattered under an invisible force. A dense fog filled the room. She heard howls and screams initially, but that was short-lived. Actually, she lost all sense of time and place. Maybe it wasn't short, maybe it lasted for hours.

Most of her senses failed her, but her skin ignited. Every single place on Bella's body burned with intensity. She couldn't see a thing. Hard thumps were the only sounds that remained. Falling. Everything was collapsing around her. The pack had fallen. She was no longer standing nor was her son. His hand disappeared from hers and she had no idea where he was. Her voice didn't register, but in her mind she screamed for her pack, for Jacob, for her son. No one responded because nothing was actually uttered.

There was pain, agony and a sense of loss. Her soul experienced the worst separation imaginable, it essentially tore as she was whisked away... far, far away from her home and from her imprint.

Life had been storybook perfect for so long, but in an instant, nothing was right. It was like a storm arrived with absolutely no warning and La Push was consumed in darkness.

 _ **~Thanks so much for reading.**_

 _ **Who's still with me? I'm not a huge beggar for reviews, but your thoughts, comments and questions are really important to me right now.**_

 _ **Breaking it up into sections:**_

 _ **1\. What are you thinking about Ace? Maybe Edward said it best, Bella and Jacob's DNA combined to form an extraordinary child.**_

 _ **2\. That love scene? Wink, wink. I figured you all deserved that since I was about to pull the rug out.**_

 _ **3\. Where is Bella? What do you think happened with Ace? Who is gravely worried about the fate of the pack?**_

 _ **If you thought that was intense, you haven't seen anything yet. Jacob's POV is next, along with one of the biggest shockers of the whole damn story. This wasn't labeled angst for nothing, guys.**_

 _ **FYI, even I cry when I read my own words.**_


	54. Chapter 54

_**~So blown away by the responses to the last chapter. I expected some reactions, but you guys literally make my day with your reviews. I love reading everyone's theories. Some of you are spot on and some are just a tiny bit off, but I love seeing all the guesses regardless. Next few chapters come with an intensity warning, not for the faint of heart, most definitely.**_

Chapter 54: Treachery

Jacob came into work an hour early so he could skip out at lunch. He wanted to surprise Bells and see how the place was shaping up for the photo shoot. His wife never ceased to amaze him. Bella worked her butt off to make his dad's dreams come true. The whole time she worked closely with the council, she also juggled working with Collin, supported the pack families and was a wonderful loving mother to his kids. She was everything he ever needed and more.

His thoughts easily reverted back to last night. He could almost feel her in his arms pressed up against his chest. Every time with Bella was good, but there was something extra special about their lovemaking last evening. It had been spontaneous, but was the best response to the tension they both suffered. He was struggling with his will to lay off until after her postpartum period. Bella kept saying she was fine, maybe they could slip away for one more round during the bonfire. The kids would be entertained with the pack and the grandparents. He was making himself hard thinking about that secret spot they ventured to many times before. He needed to get a handle on himself before anyone else showed up for work. He replayed the standard boner killers in his thoughts: Charlie's mustache twitching when he and Bella showed too much PDA, Zoe making him dress up like a princess with her and the picture proof that existed in Bella's top secret hiding place as well as the ultimate shrinkage origin, Quil's hairy ass.

He redirected his thoughts just before Martin, the garage manager surprised him when he opened up the main bay doors.

"You're here bright and early."

Jacob knew he didn't have to do easy mechanic jobs anymore, but he chose to. The work at the garage was more of a hobby. He normally felt rejuvenated after being there especially when Ashley didn't surface. She was busy with her second husband in three years. He was thankful for small favors.

Jacob scooted out from under the Acura. He was cleaning up his hands on the way to the counter to go over the orders with Marty when he was overcome by a gut-wrenching pain. It took a helluva punch to make him hurt, but this doubled him over and he fell to his knees as he struggled to get his breath.

Martin ran around the counter. "Jesus Christ, man. What's the matter?"

Jacob could barely speak. He broke out in a cold sweat. He was trying to suck in oxygen after essentially having every bit of air knocked out of his lungs.

"Is it your appendix? My cousin doubled over like that when his ruptured. Should I call 911?"

Jacob managed to shake his head and slowly got back on his feet. He growled out that he was fine.

"No fucking way that you're fine. Come have a seat in the office."

"No, I said I was fine. I have to go." He knew as soon as the intense pain subsided, something was wrong, very wrong. Jacob didn't have a medical problem, he had a leech problem. He'd felt like he'd been ripped open, but his skin remained intact. However, the dull ache lingered. Jacob was torn in a place that couldn't be seen, but he felt it nonetheless. That meant his worst nightmare was occurring, but he knew he was most definitely awake.

* * *

He drove a short distance until he could ditch the truck. The beast emerged and he started to run. Images were sketchy, but he already knew enough from his lost connection. The wolf howled over the loss. Bella. Ace. His unborn sons. They were all gone.

Jacob called to the brothers that could answer him, many didn't. They rendezvoused at the tribal center. A mysterious fog seeped from the broken down front doors. Leah was about to run full speed into the building. Jacob stopped her. They all phased back.

"It's not right. That's rancid. It's poison." He instructed Jared and Leah to go around the building a break all the windows in hopes of clearing out the toxins as quickly as possible. "Sam, go to my house. Claire is babysitting Zoe. I need to know she's safe. Get all the mates, kids and everyone else in one spot."

About that time, Collin and Zane crawled outside choking and coughing covered in blood. Whose blood? One sniff told Jacob it was mainly their own. The two men coughed so hard, they both lost their stomach contents. Collin finally made sense when he uttered something about the clinic. There would be supplies. The guys needed serious medical attention and they all knew a hospital wasn't possible.

Jacob barked out more orders. The tribe had a large van. He said they'd load up everyone for transport to the clinic. He initiated the emergency protocols. Everyone in the loop would be notified: the wives, the parents and the Cullens. Fucking Alice Cullen, wasn't she closely monitoring this situation? How did she not even get a glimpse?

He finally determined the air had cleared enough to go in after a couple of long, drawn-out minutes. He didn't need anymore guys rendered helpless. It was torture not going inside to assess the damage immediately. The worst part was knowing that Bella and Ace weren't there. He smelt their scents in the parking lot mixed with a multitude of leech stenches. They were taken and his pack was in dire straights.

He found the pup, Stevie, unconscious with ragged shallow breathing. "Brady! Get the kid outta here."

With all the windows broken and the doors ripped away, natural light poured in. Blood was everywhere, like some goddamned horror movie. The guys didn't know what hit them. Jacob wasn't sure if they'd even had a chance to phase. The poison must have some sort of paralytic. It was the perfect plan. Paralyze the pack and destroy anyone in the way. Bella would be left exposed and vulnerable, easy for the taking. The battle years before proved tactical combat was a challenge for Aro's army. The pack was a strong opponent especially with the Cullen's coven backing them. This was the only way he could have an advantage and it had been devastating in more ways than one.

Leah found Emb. She screamed a shrill cry. Jacob prepared himself for the worst, but he touched his brother and felt warm skin. The low hum of an irregular heartbeat proved his beta was a true warrior. Leah screamed again when she saw Seth under a broken table. This place was supposed to be picture perfect by the day's end and it looked like a fucking war zone: destroyed surroundings, broken bodies and rivers of blood. Jacob lifted up Seth and carried him to the van. Brady came back for Embry and Jared carried a completely distraught Leah as well.

Zane appeared to be healing faster than anyone else. Jacob was mentally accounting for his pack. The urge to search for his family was tearing him apart at the moment, but he had to save these men that put their lives on the line for Bells everyday. She would want him to rescue them. The alpha in him wouldn't let him abandon them in their time of crisis.

He realized they were missing one. "Quil!"

Zane shook his head. "He's dead. I... I saw, he... ugh. Oh God, it was the worst thing I ever... " He started coughing and crying, but eventually gargled out his worry about Claire. She would be devastated. Jacob felt so much pain and remorse since it all began, but had he actually experienced the total loss of a brother, a cousin, a best friend? He searched his connection. Something didn't add up. He told Jared take the others. They couldn't wait any longer. He knew they desperately need oxygen and Collin had a hidden storage room under the building with all sorts of emergency supplies. He had stocked up everything they could ever need during an emergency. Hopefully, Carlisle and Sue were there by now to start treatments immediately.

Jacob ran back in the building. He yelled for Quil realizing he probably would never answer. The residual toxin burned his nose and altered his senses, but he was able to sniff out his friend. He was covered in debris. As soon as he peeled away the pieces, he found Quil soaked in blood, cut open in so many places, he couldn't count them all. Giant open wounds on his stomach were the worst. At first glance, he thought Zane was right and that Quil was dead. A large tear fell from Jacob's right eye and splashed in the sea of blood surrounding the fallen wolf. He heard the sound it made in the still setting, but then he heard a whoosh and a faint thump. A fresh gurgle of blood flowed out in front of his eyes. The dead didn't actively bleed. Those sounds were Quil's heart sputtering as he clung to the sliver of life that was left in him.

Jacob sprang into action and lifted him up. "Don't you dare fucking die on me, man. That's an order!"

He reclined the seat back in Bella's car and found a blanket of Zoe's to apply pressure on the worst wounds. Some spots were showing signs of healing and Quil made his first sounds of a weak cough. He was lucky Bella had a spare key in her console. He had no idea where her actual set was.

Jacob peeled out of the driveway to start speeding to the clinic. His wolf would have been faster but there was no way Quil was stable enough for that type of transport.

They appeared in the middle of the main road. Jacob slammed the brakes. The windows were already down for fresh air.

"She better fucking have something for me. A road sign, a car description, anything. I have to get Quil to Carlisle at the clinic and then we'll meet up to discuss a rescue mission. Until then, everyone able should be searching."

Rose told him Carlisle wasn't there yet. She said there was another emergency. Jacob couldn't stall any longer. Quil's life was in his hands. Something was wrong with Rose and Emmett. Rose pointed toward in the ditch. Jacob saw a body surrounding by a whole bunch of fucking donuts. He trusted them to handle it. He wasn't even sure how that was related to their ordeal but knew it did.

"I have to get him help. I'll be over as soon as I can."

Rose looked in the window. "There's no helping him and you know it."

Jacob ignored her statement as he stepped on the gas. As they drove the short distance, Quil proved just what a stubborn fucker he could be. His heart settled on a normal rhythm even if it was weak. He groaned occasionally. He was bleeding all over Bella's car, but at least he was alive. By some miracle, he was still hanging on.

"Quil, Claire will be waiting for you. Get yourself together before you scare that poor girl half to death. You hear me, stay strong for your mate. We need you. Fight, bro, don't stop fighting."

Jacob pulled up at the clinic. He hoisted Quil back into his arms who managed one whispered word before going out again, "Ace."

* * *

Sue, Charlie, the wives and Renee were all doing something to stay busy. The clinic was operating as a full service emergency room that morning. The children had all been corralled into the employee area. It wasn't ideal to have them there, but Jacob needed his pack in one spot. The six that were with Bells had suffered severe trauma and near asphyxiation, but so far they were all hanging on, even Quil.

Carlisle was late when they needed him most. Jacob was so ramped up, he was about to explode. He took his fury out on the head bloodsucker that had one job and that was to treat his pack during an emergency.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"My apologies, there was another incidence preceding this. My family took a direct hit as well."

"Wait, what do you mean by that? The Volturi attacked your coven?"

Carlisle quietly nodded as he asked who was the most critical. Jacob led him to Quil.

"Tell me, Carlisle. How bad?"

Jacob knew the vamps didn't express normal human emotions, but he sensed a great loss when he looked at the doctor. Carlisle started yelling for crucial supplies he needed to treat Quil.

"Carlisle."

The doc didn't miss a beat. He started a line in Quil's left arm and Sue hung two bags. He faced Jacob with those strange golden eyes that didn't tear, but Jacob still imagined he was crying in his own way.

"Jasper was destroyed. They got to him. Alice has gone into herself. She's catatonic. Edward is trying to reach her to see if she can help us, but I'm not sure if we didn't lose her as well. She's been unreachable since it happened."

"I'm sorry for your family's loss, but I have to find Bells and Ace. He has to get through to her. I have zero leads."

Jacob turned around and headed to the kitchen. He knew his daughter was in there and right at the moment, she was all he had.

He was able to slip on a scrub top, hoping it would hide some of the blood covering him. Zoe hopped off Claire's lap and bounded into his arms. "Daddy!"

"Hey, Zoe-bug. How's my girl? You okay?"

She smiled and nodded her head that she was. "Claire played dolls with me." He studied her tiny features that were so similar to her mother's. He tried not to let his mind go there, but he stroked her rosy cheek. What if she was all he had left of Bells? Jacob was speechless. He was a leader and he needed to lead, but he was paralyzed in that spot with his daughter in his lap. She was completely oblivious to the fact her mother and brother were missing. He didn't know what his next move should be. The reports back from Sam and the others on patrol were that there wasn't a trace. Alice was not going to help, she was devastated at the loss of her mate. He'd never felt more broken and he'd suffered many times before but nothing compared to this.

Jacob sat there as Zoe mindless chattered. He slowly inhaled her sweet scent that was so similar to her mother's, it hurt his very soul. He fought back tears of loss and desperation until a familiar hand grasped his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, son." Jacob turned around and saw his father.

"What if it's not?" Zoe scooted off his lap when Willow started one of her favorites movies on the television on the wall.

His father had faith in Jacob that he no longer had. How could he fix this? There were no solutions. What if the poison the guys were exposed to did irreparable damage? No one even knew what it was.

"Have you seen Embry?"

Billy said he had. "He's improving."

"Is he awake?"

"No, but I know he's going to recover. He's my son and I know."

Jacob thought about his own son. At least, wherever they were, they were together. It was crazy considering Ace's actual age, but he would protect her and his brothers. Jacob seriously believed that.

Claire tentatively approached. "Can I go out there now? Kim wouldn't let me before. I need to see him and he needs to know I'm here."

Jacob said he'd need to double check first. He knew young Claire didn't need to see what he witnessed earlier, but she was right, if Quil was going to pull through, it'd be because of her.

Zane was up, walking around. He wanted to see Claire first. Jacob thought that was a good distraction while Carlisle worked on Quil. "How did Quil make it?"

"He's a warrior, like all of you."

"My head's still fuzzy, but man, Jake, I swear, they completely opened him up. Things fell out that shouldn't have. I can't even describe it. How'd you patch him up?"

"I didn't. Look. It's bad and he's torn up, but I didn't find anything spilled out as you put it other than he was bleeding uncontrollably."

Zane shook his head in disbelief. "Weird. Weird fucking shit is going on. I know that mist fucked with all my senses, but my memory isn't totally blown. Look at this." He lifted his arm over his head and rotated it all around. "I thought they pulled my damned arm off. It was dangling, now it's fine."

"You heal. It's the wolf."

"Nope, no one set this and it was completely unhinged, out of the socket when I blacked out. Here's the truth, we couldn't breathe, we couldn't move and they massacred us. We should all be dead, but we're not and I don't know why. It's a complete mindfuck. I'm so sorry," he started to cry. "I'm so sorry we let you down and that they took them." The poor kid couldn't stop sobbing which only led to more coughing and struggling for breath. Jacob knew there was nothing they could do differently. Brit grabbed her son's arm and insisted he sit down and put his oxygen mask back on. Somehow, someway, these leeches had inside information because they were never detected. They knew exactly where to get to Bella and how to carry it all out. He kept saying they'd never underestimate Aro and yet, they did.

* * *

Hours later after a meeting with Edward, Jacob was back at the clinic to check on everyone's condition. Seth, Collin and Zane were the only ones that had healed enough to wake up, they weren't exactly themselves, far from it. It was concerning how many hours the others had been out. Carlisle was right. The pixie was a blank slate. Jacob tried the nice approach with some pleading, then he damned near turned violent with her, but Edward pulled him off. That only ended in a lot more yelling, pushing and shoving. After hours of apologies and interrogation, her brother got one thought from her silent brain.

 _Aro._

That was a fucking revelation. NOT!

Edward took it to mean, they would take Bella and Ace back to Volterra. He doubted Aro came to America. Emmett had started the leg work of getting them a private jet. He'd been waiting for the opportunity to take his maiden voyage since getting a pilot's license. An extended trip across the ocean could possibly end in death for several reasons, but there were no other options.

Now it was up to Jacob to figure out who could travel with him and who needed to remain. There was no guarantee stragglers hadn't stayed behind in hopes of finishing off the pack. It was a legitimate worry. Aro had to know Jacob would stop at nothing to rescue his wife and son.

They'd even hit the Cullens. Taking out Jasper was a calculated move. Edward said he happened to be the one out on reconnaissance. It could've been any of them since they often took turns. Jacob remembered how hard Jasper fought in battle, maybe it was exactly who they wished to get rid of. He was sure they'd also love to destroy Edward, but maybe Aro still thought he could obtain him for his guard if he'd captured Bella.

Jake met with the pack just outside the clinic entrance. Sam volunteered to stay back and oversee the protection of the reservation. They had three incapacitated wolves and three weak ones that might take days to be 100%. That left them with ten battle ready, but the latest news brought to Jacob's attention were that Emily and Rachel were taking care of their sons who'd recently spiked high fevers, so there would soon be two new wolves on the reservation.

Sam and Paul both gave their permission for Jacob to urge things along. They knew their boys could handle it, that they wanted to protect their families alongside their fathers. Alice couldn't travel and Esme insisted on staying by her side. Carlisle was giving Sue and Collin the treatment plans that appeared to be stabilizing Embry and Stevie, but so far hadn't done much more than barely keep Quil alive. Jacob was leery about taking five more guys away from the pack, but Sam said that the rescue group would most likely be the ones to face an experienced Volturi guard. The odds weren't even in their favor with the four Cullens and six of them.

Jacob told the five going with him to say their goodbyes and gather a few supplies. They were meeting up at nearby airstrip in less than two hours. Leah stepped out like she had something to say.

"Is it Emb?"

She shook her head.

"Seth?"

"No, Emb's stable just not awake and Seth is just trying to hold down some food, but so far no luck. He's still pretty dehydrated and sick. I need to say my peace about that suicide mission you're about to undertake. Black, you can't be serious. Nicky's fifteen."

"I'm aware of that, but I have to have some numbers with me and he's quick."

"I'm faster than all of you and you know it."

"Lee, your wiped out emotionally. Both Seth and Embry were hit hard and you have Rae to consider."

"I know that and that's why I have to go and fight with the rest of you. I can't do anything else for them. Mom's here. They have Charlie and Amy. Carlisle says Seth will be fine as long as he has the IV and the oxygen and he thinks Embry will wake up soon. Rae's plenty happy with her cousins and aunts. I have to do this. I have to protect my alpha queen. She called me into service and I swore I'd never let her down."

"Are you sure?"

"Have I ever been anything but?"

Jacob said he'd break it to the kid that he had res duties instead. Jacob went inside to tell the others the plan. They honestly had no plan. He figured they'd sort it out on the twelve hour flight over there. The big vamp was assuring him the jet they had would make it faster and that they had a favorable headwind predicted.

Aro had been planning this assault on Bella for most likely fifteen years. He'd be expecting them and no doubt he had a small army awaiting their arrival, complete with deathtraps, a real life dungeon and a tunnel that led straight to hell.

Charlie and Renee were entertaining Zoe. She ran to Jake when he came in the room. "Go home?"

He kissed her nose, "No, Junebug. I have to go on a trip. You're going to stay with Renny. In fact, I bet Renny will stay at our house so you still can have all your toys and sleep in your own bed."

Renee forced a smile and said that's exactly what they'd do. It would be a grand slumber party just like she and her mommy used to have.

With the mention of Bella, Jacob's exhausted daughter whined, "I wan Mommy."

He looked up at Charlie again and saw all the worry and sorrow etched across his face. He'd seen him beaten down and that low only once before. It was the day Carlisle called and said Bella had passed away. Jacob gave his daughter one more hug and promised he'd be back soon. After all, he'd never broken that sort of promise to her, so he didn't plan on this time being any different.

He gave Renee a hug and whispered a different promise. "I will not come back without them. Take care of my daughter."

Charlie shook his hand and pulled him into a hug with the other. "I trust you, Jake. Just be careful. Don't worry about Zoe, you know how much family she has here. We love her so much. She's Bells made over."

Barry walked up to Jacob next. They'd barely had a second of silence since the whole thing started. He looked at Bella's loyal friend and saw the hurt in his eyes. Jacob knew he loved Bells like she was his flesh and blood sister. They were family.

"You're going to do this."

Jacob grabbed him and hugged him close. Barry believed and Jacob wanted him to be right more than anything.

He had a brief discussion with his father, then he walked around the beds to each one of the guys. He gave them a few alpha commands. They had no choice but to heal and get better. It was somewhat encouraging to see the change for the better in some of the guys. However, watching Quil cut him deep. He still looked so damn bad. Claire was sitting in a chair holding tight to Quil's hands. "He's holding his body temperature better."

"That's a good sign."

Quil still looked paler than Quil ever had. He was receiving a steady drip of donated blood and fluids. Jacob noticed everyone that was able had donated a pint.

"Claire, he's one tough, ornery bastard. You know that right? He doesn't give up." Jacob had personally beat the shit out of him during a dare once because Quil absolutely refused to say uncle. He didn't offer up the details of that incidence. Claire had enough to worry about without bringing up her imprint's general stupidity. It further proved to Jake he was as strong as an ox. Quil could take a beating and still laugh about it later.

"We were so close, all the promises we made to each other... " She wiped away a few tears, "What if none of it ever happens?"

Jacob told her Quil would make good on the promises, but she needed to take care of herself too. Quil was going to need her strength to draw on when he woke up. He gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Believe. I was in a pit earlier, but I'm going to get my family back. There's no other outcome that's acceptable. Quil heard my order earlier. He never disobeys a direct order. We're all going to recover from this."

Jacob looked up at Carlisle while he gave Quil one last assessment. He slightly shook his head. Even the doctor had given up. Jacob hoped he hadn't given false hope to Claire, to his pack or to himself. He spoke from the heart. He didn't want to believe he'd ever let any of them down.

There was one more promise he made to himself. A certain city in Italy would burn in the next 24 hours with the stacked corpses of the undead when Jacob personally directed them back to hell where they belonged. Aro carefully constructed a plan to possess Bella, but he had most definitely underestimated the power and determination that resided within her mate. They suffered a paralyzing defeat, but Jacob would not lose the war.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

Bella jerked awake. Her head pounded like a jackhammer and her mouth felt like cotton.

She had no idea where she was or how long she'd been out. There was a vague recollection of waking up on a plane and immediately being stuck again, followed by a burning liquid running up her arm.

Atticus.

She reached her arms for him and discovered his warm body nearby. Bella gazed upon his flushed cheeks and studied the way he breathed. He was soundly sleeping. They must have drugged him as well. Bella brushed his sweaty hair off his face. He was burning up. She knew what that meant.

Her next thoughts were for her unborn sons. Bella would barely take a Tylenol for aches and pains. She was very conscientious about taking care of herself during pregnancy. What the hell was the gas they bombed the center with? Who knew how much dope they'd pumped into her veins? She patted her tummy and there was absolutely no movement. She panicked. Bella nudged her sons with a little more determination.

"Rebel," she shook the spot he frequented under her ribs. Then she tapped above her pubic bone. "Max, wake up. Please, show Mommy you're both okay."

There was no activity. Her heart sank to the very depths of despair. _No. Please, no._

A groggy Ace surprised her, "Momma."

Bella wrapped her heated child in her arms. "Atticus. I'm right her. We're together. You're sick, honey, save your strength."

"Momma, okay?"

"Yes, I think so, just tired and thirsty."

"Babies?"

He was asking about the twins. She fell silent, she had no idea what to say. Bella was still pretty out of it. She hoped and prayed they were merely sleeping.

Her son deliberately put his left, then his right hand on her stomach. He repeated his question. "Babies?" And at that moment, they both gave their older brother strong kicks against his palms. He chuckled, "Good babies."

Relief flooded her. She covered Atticus's hands and felt both babies move and squirm around. She didn't say anything else when it seemed he drifted off again, but then he grasped her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers atop her wiggly stomach, "Honey, do you remember?"

He nodded. "Bad."

"Yes, the bad people took us, but your father will come." She knew that was the truest statement ever uttered. Bella was trying to remember the pack. Why hadn't they fought back? What happened to them?

"Do you remember your uncles?"

"I help. I help more, but I go to sleep."

"Sure, baby. Your Mommy's big helper. Just rest for now."

He was such a brave boy. She didn't want him to be kidnapped like she was, but it was somewhat comforting to be together.

He dozed off again. Bella wondered how long he had left if they were surrounded by vampires when he was already exhibiting enhanced abilities even before their lives were at stake? She wanted to spare him that sort of responsibility but maybe it was his destiny all along.

The door rattled as if someone turned the key. Bella rolled and sheltered her son's body with hers. Ace heard the commotion. He groaned again and wrapped his arm over abdomen. The twins had settled back down.

Bella didn't know who she expected or what was about to happen. She was in a stone room, but on a comfortable bed. One small lamp illuminated the room. She almost recognized the place from nightmares that vacated her thoughts years ago when she made it back to Jake. He buried her nightmares, but they'd returned with a vengeance.

Bella was afraid so she shut her eyes tight. Maybe whomever it was would leave if she appeared to still be sleeping.

Footstep clacked across the floor. She was almost certain they were high heels. A woman? Who though? Jane? Jane had been the one to hitch a ride to Forks several years before, but she disappeared without a trace.

"Open your eyes. I know you're awake."

Atticus made a feral growl from behind her. His wolf was closer than ever. "Awe, that's not nice. We were such good friends before."

Bella's eyes opened wide to meet ruby red ones that hovered over her face.

No. It couldn't be. She had to be dreaming after all.

Atticus tightened his grip on her. Bella was devastated by what she saw. The vampire spoke again. "Hello, roomie. It's been a long time."

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **Who's jaw hit the floor and who's screaming, "Yes, I knew it!"**_

 _ **Tell me your latest predictions. Many of you had Monica pegged as being shifty way back when. How worried are you about the pack, especially Quil?**_

 _ **Preview: Bella and Ace face an uphill battle in the next chapter and a very heated argument transpires between old friends.**_


	55. Chapter 55

_**~This one's shorter, but important occurrences taking place.**_

Chapter 55: Deadly Deception

Bella and Ace scarfed down the food that was left for them. She was awaiting Aro. Monica told her he'd be visiting soon. That was the strangest twist of fate. She was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it. Her very best friend was a vampire and she lived in Italy with Aro all this time they thought she was a missing person.

At first, Bella felt miserable for her former roommate because she felt completely responsible. Aro targeted Monica just for knowing her. When the whole story was laid out before her, Bella was consumed with hatred and rage. That wasn't how it went down at all. Aro got to Monica long before she'd ever met her. It was a set up the whole time. Everything she ever had with her was a lie. Barry would equally be devastated. Monica fed Aro information over and over again. She played her and the pack. She deserved an Academy award for her performance.

Bella brought up the fainting. "Please, I took drama in high school. It wasn't that hard."

Bella thought maybe there was a glimmer of hope she meant something to Monica and it hadn't all been an act. "Please, I still care about you. The three of us were true friends. I don't believe you. The Cullens could help. They could train you, accept you into their coven. You wouldn't have to hurt innocent people. You don't have to do this, Mon. Look at this little boy. You were with me when I brought him into the world. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Yes, I was. I haven't forgotten everything, but as you pointed out, I'm not very maternal and I'm a great actress." Monica looked over Bella at Ace tossing and turning in his sleep. "What's with him? He's acting odd."

Bella was quick to point out he was a little boy ripped away from his home and his entire life. Not to mention, they'd both been drugged out of their minds for hours upon hours. "He's sleeping. His poor body has been traumatized."

Monica had been entirely chilling and uncaring until Bella brought up their history and her attachment to Barry and Atticus. She sensed a shift in her demeanor but it was only fleeting.

"I almost changed my mind, many times actually. After all, I worked for Aro out of fear and you knew I was always broke as fuck. He paid better than any employer I ever had. When your pack accepted me in the fold, I thought for just a second I could come forward. If only one of them would love me enough to protect me from all the threats Aro made against me, I would spill my guts. I didn't fake our friendship, Bella. I loved you and Barry. I truly did, but you never loved me as much as I loved you. All of you kept insisting I wasn't the one for Quil. He liked me, the real me. It was one of the only times I was comfortable in my own skin. He enjoyed my company and laughed at my jokes, but you never would stop with your agenda. It was always imprint this and destiny that. I grew to despise you. I knew the second I drove off that reservation my life was over. Aro would take the knowledge I'd gained and drain me, erase me from existence. I wanted him to at first, but when Jane came for me and brought me here again, everything changed."

"I begged Aro to let me be a part of this. He was going to exterminate me for disobeying. I was supposed to stay put much longer, but I couldn't stand it another day. My human life, was one disappointment after another, but this world was completely different. I made new alliances. I'm at his side almost always now. Aro trained me personally. I'm lethal. Don't tell, but he regards me higher than his mate. I never fit in elsewhere, but here I'm important."

Bella shuddered to see how Monica was downright proud of what she'd become. She truly was dead to her.

"And besides those Cullens would never accept me after what I did to them."

"What's that supposed to mean? Were you there? On the res? Mon, what about the guys?"

Monica only laughed and shook her head at Bella, "You think this whole moment is only about you. That's so like you, Bella. Aro doesn't even need you anymore, that's not the plan any longer. You changed the plan when you mated with the shape-shifter. I never would've predicted you'd go full slut and chase a married man. Oh well, at least I got a vacation those few months. Aro brought me here so I could see exactly how powerful he was. It is literally impossible to defeat him. No one has even come close. The pack won't win and you'll be dead soon enough. Aro wants his twins first. He will then raise those three shields as his own and then when they've matured, they'll be turned. If you think that wolf blood will interfere, you're wrong. Caius has a back up plan, he knows more than anyone how to handle the wolves. No one will ever challenge our master again. He will become the most powerful immortal to ever exist."

She wished there was something to throw at her or that she was strong enough to kick her vampire ass. Instead, she only hurled insults, "Get out of my sight, you filthy bitch! You're a goddamn liar! You didn't want to give the pack a chance or you definitely would've said something. You knew damned well they could protect you. You only pursued Quil to hurt us deeper. I hate you! We all despise you. You were a soulless monster long before the venom transformed your pathetic existence. I can't wait for Jacob to tell me the look on your face when you witness him killing you for good."

Monica cackled more and more with every word Bella uttered. She got so worked up, her stomach hurt, but Ace comforted and calmed her as soon as Monica left them alone.

* * *

Bella wiped the tears that fell while she drank down the last bit of soup. Her former friend's words haunted her. Aro had a secret weapon no one knew about, a predictor of future events, much like Alice, but fairly more accurate. He predicted the arrival of twins and that's why he waited so long to act. Three would be better than one. It was obvious Monica was right about one detail. Bella could never be controlled at this point. She'd only attack if she was ever turned. He thought the children could be trained if he possessed them at a young age. Many questions were answered by Monica throughout the time she lived with Renee. She knew all about Edward's experiments and the fact Ace was thought to be a powerful shield. She was also around when Zoe was born and knew she didn't exhibit such powers. At least, her daughter was left alone. She missed her like crazy, but was confident her parents were taking excellent care of her. Monica studied so many things about the pack those two years. Where Aro's GPS implant failed with Jacob, Monica's spying proved essential for their final plans.

As soon as she left them, Bella ran to the primitive bathroom and dry heaved in a bowl for several minutes. She was completely sickened and the feeling wouldn't vacate her. If she didn't stop thinking about this now, she might lose her dinner since she finally ate. Her babies needed her to eat. She had to keep up her strength. Aro thought he could steal her children from her, but he underestimated her. That ancient vampire probably knew next to nothing about a mother's love for her children. She just needed to hold out and stay strong for a couple of days because there was no way Jake wasn't already on his way for them.

The next thing required of her wouldn't be easy, but she had to do it. Aro had also greatly underestimated her son. There was no way he could be controlled either. His wolf sensed evil lurking long before anyone else.

Atticus was starving and ate, but now he was lying back down in the bed shivering under a blanket. He'd been amazing the whole time Monica spewed her viscous mantra. Somehow, he knew how to disguise that the wolf was so close as not to tip her off. Jacob, Edward and all the rest were right. Her son was strong and he was already a protector. Now it was time to give him her blessing.

"Look at me, sweetie. You saw what Monica was. You know how bad this is for us. You listened. I know you understand."

He slowly nodded. "Enemy."

"Yes, baby. We're surrounded by enemies. Mommy's slow and big carrying your brothers and I'm only human. I'm weak compared to all these cold ones, but you're not. I can try to use my shield but I'm not going to get far in my condition. However, you have the shield and the abilities of your father."

"I'm not a baby."

"Nope, you're like Daddy. You're wolf wants out. I know you think you'll get in trouble but you won't. If we're going to survive, you have to let him out, as soon as possible. You also cannot hold back anything. Whatever it is that you do, you need to exhibit all of your powers if we're going to make it. Do you understand me?" He moved his head up and down. "Atticus, I need you to concentrate and phase. Make sure, you're not too close to Mommy, but it's fine. I want you to. Daddy wants you to. You are a spirit warrior, protector of the Quileutes and I love you with my whole heart." She held his blazing cheeks in her hands. "Be strong. Never stop fighting, but be smart. Don't underestimate anyone that's loyal to Aro."

They were in a windowless room, but Bella thought back to being there the first time. They descended many stairs to get to the hall where Aro conducted business. She told her son to climb, if he managed to get free, then he should go up and run as fast as he could. Bella knew he could handle himself if he phased, but she wasn't keen on him facing every damn immortal in Volterra. She wasn't sure where to tell him to get help, but if he managed to escape this dungeon of sorts then at least he'd be safe. She reminded him his Poppa was a police chief. If he got to a police station, then the alert would get out. Jacob might be able to locate him quickly after that. She spent the next several hours telling him all that she knew about vampires and how his father and the pack took them down. A lot of the stuff would be instinctual, but she wanted him to have the best fighting chance there was.

Bella was still concerned about that visit from Aro. She told him to wait and try and hide what was happening if he came to their room. Sure enough, as they two of them were nearing exhaustion, Aro entered their quarters.

"Isabella and the not-so Wee One. Welcome to your new home. I trust the accommodations have been satisfactory."

Bella didn't answer him and Atticus pretended to be asleep. He was so smart, he'd taken all her instructions to heart.

Aro made clicking noises with his tongue. "Now, now, there's no need for pouting. I gave you years of freedom."

Bella was incensed. "You planted a spy in my home, you fucking maniac!" How dare he act like giving her years of building a life only to snatch it away all at once was some sort of generous gift.

He covered his lips with a stark white finger. "Shhh, not in front of the sleeping babe. Monica said you were stunned by her appearance. I always did love a good surprise. I take it you don't. There's so much we've yet to learn about each other. Remorse fills us both currently. I've never felt closer to you, dear Isabella." He approached the bed. Aro grabbed Bella's hands. She locked down everything that she was feeling, all that she knew.

He hummed a controlled titter. "Fascinating. I must test the children."

Bella tried to slap his filthy hands away, but he didn't move. He grabbed Ace's shoulders. Her son opened his eyes to face their captor. Bella watched the intake of air flare in and out of his nostrils, but he said nothing. If she didn't know better, Ace had willed his temperature lower or maybe it was the chill Aro brought to the room. Aro released him soon after. He startled Bella by putting both his hands over her stomach. She flinched at his touch.

Aro shivered before releasing her. "Amazing. Even the tiny unborn children block me completely out. This will be a time of wonder, I'm looking forward to it."

Bella was looking forward to Jacob decapitating him and Aro burning in hell, but she bit her lip so hard she tasted her own blood. She was exhausted and wanted him to go away for the time being.

"Can you please leave, we're tired?"

Aro said something about her having plenty of rest the journey over. He called out to someone on the other side of the door.

An enchanting woman with nearly floor length hair stepped in carrying a tray. Bella was confused. She'd had enough accidents and trips to the ER to figure out what the mysterious female vampire had spread out on her tray. There were needles and an IV bag. She resisted.

Aro used his coaxing voice and told her to stop struggling before she worried her young son. "Relax, Isabella. This is how it has to be."

She begged. "Please, Aro, I don't need it. All those drugs aren't good for the babies. I'm plenty tired. Don't sedate me again. I'm begging you. We've given you absolutely no trouble."

The lady plunged a needle in her arm regardless and a cool liquid burned in her veins.

Aro's entire expression altered. He was a smug, creepy bastard. "Oh, you've got it all wrong. That wasn't a sedative, dear. I doubt they'll be much sleeping going on once that takes hold of you."

The next thing Bella knew, iron restraints were being clamped over both hers and Ace's wrists and they were tethered to metal rings on the wall she'd yet to notice until that point.

She hurled obscenities at him when he shut the door and turned the key to lock her in again. Bella looked up at the unmarked IV bag again. What the hell was he giving her? Ace started making agonizing noises. She tried to get him to settle down but nothing worked. He kicked his legs and flailed himself up and down off the bed. She knew he was in pain.

Bella did her best to comfort him until she herself was gripped with a strong pain that started in her back and spread across her mid-section. Her belly tightened and ached. She looked back at the IV when she finally felt her uterus relax some.

Holy hell. He wasn't putting her to sleep, he was inducing her labor. Bella was six weeks away from her due date and she was consumed with fear for those tiny babies. There was no way Aro was going to wait six weeks. Jacob would only be hours behind them unless something beyond his control prevented him. She honestly had no concept of time or awareness of how long they'd been in that room. The was no evidence of night or day.

Her son was their only hope. "Atticus. Now, Atticus, you have to break free now!" Bella was consumed by another contraction. She'd never been induced before, she wasn't sure if one on top of the other was normal. She was used to a more gradual build-up.

A few minutes went by and then the bed started shaking again. He was in misery and definitely too close to Bella. She needed him out of the bed, but they were both chained.

Bella commanded him. "Wake up. Listen to me!"

His jerky movements ceased. Bella was watching for one sign of recognition or obedience when both his eyes popped open. Dark, almost black eyes rimmed in gold stared back at her. The wolf was in control. She hoped the young pup was up for the task at hand. All their lives depended on him. He lifted his hands above her head and snapped the restraint. Without any further instruction, her child snapped her restraint as well. He also jerked the tube where it connected to the medication. Maybe Bella should attempt following her son out since he was minutes from changing, but when she stood up, another pain overcame her. A warm gush of fluid ran down her legs. It was too late. The labor would continue now even without the medication. She couldn't be on the run or she'd be a hindrance.

Bella told him he'd have to go it alone. She moved back to the bed and huddled against the cold stone wall. That was when her four, almost five-year-old son burst out of his skin and transformed into a beautiful russet wolf, a miniature version of his father, but still impressive in size. He ripped the hardware off the door with his powerful jaws and escaped their prison. Bella fell back on the mattress. She had to trust the wolf's instincts and his overwhelming capacity to protect. She also had to trust that Jacob would be there soon. In fact, she was sure something felt different than before. It was almost like she sensed his approach.

 _ **~Thanks for reading.**_

 ** _There is a nail-biter chapter coming up. I think you all can imagine what the small group of good guys will be up against to rescue Bella and the children._**


	56. Chapter 56

_**~A/N Deep breaths, dear readers. This chapter is the true nail-biter. They've progressively been getting worse. I'm well aware of that and this is my most intense, most gut-wrenching one. Proceed with caution.**_

 _ **Song inspiration is Bruno Mars's "It Will Rain"**_

 _ **Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.**_

Chapter 56: Knocking at Death's Door

Edward opened out his arm like a gate. Jacob growled. He hated when the tick touched him.

"You can't go barreling in the front door. We'll all be massacred."

They had to be careful with their approach. So far, they'd remained undetected, but when the fortress came into sight, Jacob fought the urge not to break the door down. He was so close to Bells and his children, he could feel it. The torn piece of his soul was slowing knitting itself back together, but the wound felt fragile, almost paper-thin like it could easily tear again.

Carlisle motioned for them to all follow him. He knew of two secret entrances if they hadn't been closed off. It had been many years since he'd be with the Volturi, but Aro was a creature of habit and Carlisle doubted he'd changed much. In fact from what he heard from Alice and Edward's descriptions, Volterra was like a place frozen in time as far as the vampire's domain was concerned. When they made it to the first hidden door, they decided to split up. Jacob and Edward would take Leah, Canyon and Paul. Brady and Jared followed Carlisle, Emmett and Rose to the second entrance.

As soon as Jake climbed out of the constricted passage to get inside, he could see they were in a long, dark corridor straight out of medieval times. It was like a maze of hallways with multiple staircases leading down beneath the earth's surface.

Paul commented, "Our descent into hell begins here."

The air was old and dank, the hint of death lingered as well. However, all the supernatural senses picked up on a another scent at the same time.

Edward was shocked, "You smell that? There's already a wolf here."

Jacob breathed that fresh, woodsy scent in. A smile formed on his lips. He only expected to smell death and doom in these halls, but he smelled hope instead. "There sure as fuck is, That's my boy! He's protecting his mom like I knew he would." The urge to phase overwhelmed him. He needed to hear his son's thoughts to know they were still fine.

If they followed the the narrow path of the wolf, it might lead them to Bella. They all knew the mission was comprised of more than merely a rescue. They were there to destroy as well. Jacob needed Bella evacuated, but he also knew he had to be the one to take down the leech leader or his obsession would live on. The danger would never leave them if Aro wasn't destroyed.

Rose found them about that time. Carlisle was on the trail of an old rival, Caius. They'd also determined that Alec had been directly involved in the attack on the reservation. His powers combined with a synthetic noxious gas were responsible for rendering the pack helpless. They had to prevent that substance from being used on _them_ or it was all over before they got started. It was Edward's mission to search the thoughts of anyone they encountered in hopes of taking that deadly toxin out of the equation. This was never a fair fight to begin with.

Jacob instructed Rose to find Bella and get her out of there as quickly as possible. The rest of them were going to split up and attempt a sneak attack on the guard. Edward and Carlisle had drawn out various maps from memory about the layout of the residence on the flight over. He didn't feel as clueless after the tedious trip abroad. They'd worked out plans and strategies non-stop with little to no breaks.

It wasn't long before they came upon a severed leech head. After several twists and turns down a stone staircase, there was a corpse to match. They'd have to come back to that because at this point a fire would be like sounding an alarm that they'd arrive. A few steps later, they ran across another shredded remains. The wolf was a pup but already a proficient leech destroyer. Ace was systematically destroying each vampire he encountered.

Edward said they were almost to the hall where Aro held court. That was the last thing spoken before all hell broke loose. Jacob heard the distress howls of his son. His wolf exploded and his pack followed. He comforted his son through the mind link. They were almost there. He had to hold them off merely seconds more. A battle like none other ensued. That baby-faced blonde one went first. She was so stumped she wasn't inflicting pain on the attackers, that she never saw Leah's wolf coming from behind her.

Ace was projecting the shield the whole time he was kicking ass. All those times, they thought he was too young or didn't understand, he was paying attention and he had perfect control.

Edward got Alec next and alerted Carlisle that the one getting away was indeed the source of the poison. He wasted no time confronting one of their many secret weapons. Their side was taking down leeches left and right. Occasionally, they'd take a rough hit and get busted up. Jacob felt bones crack, but they mended as fast as they snapped. Everyone was bouncing back faster than normal. Each time they charged back in the fight, they were a little stronger. This was why they trained so hard these past few years. The pack with the aide of Edward's mind reading and Carlisle's centuries of knowledge made them formidable opponents, despite the disadvantage of being completely outnumbered. For every vampire they exterminated, three or four more would come out of hiding. Jacob had yet to find the one he intended to end with extreme pleasure. Aro was in hiding. Rose was also missing from combat. Jacob hoped that meant she found Bella and that they were back at the plane.

Ace caught wind of something. Jacob saw him lift his snout and sniff the air. The arena was not receiving the same influx of new leeches. Ace didn't hesitate to breakaway from the action. He was scenting something that set his blood to boil. Jacob felt his rage mixed with pain from Bells which was never a good feeling. He let the others know, they were pursuing other threats, most likely the main one.

 _She's here... she's here_

Jacob didn't know who _she_ was, so he urged his son to slow down and wait for him.

He flashed his father a memory of a familiar face and things that were said. His wolf was also consumed with fiery rage. No, it couldn't be. Jake willingly brought the enemy into his pack. They normally could spot deception a mile away. She would suffer for this. It seemed Ace felt just as passionate about inflicting punishment on Monica.

His son obeyed his commands. He slowed down so that Jacob could catch up. The pair broke down the door to a lavish room that had to be Aro's private chamber. It felt like royalty lived there, only Aro was no human king and there was no life in this hellhole. Father and son wolves stood side by side. Aro turned around with his arms extended like he was welcoming them to his home for a grand party. He was one creepy motherfucker, pasty white skin against jet black hair and ruby eyes that reflected the blood of thousands of innocents. This was the face of all Bella's nightmares. Jake had seen plenty of leeches over the years, but this was terror on two legs.

A tall she-vamp with Lady Godiva hair came out of the shadows and stood at Aro's right. Monica, the traitor, took her spot at his left. Ace growled loudly.

"What a disappointment. I thought I had years to train you. You fooled me back there. Who knew you were so cunning?" Aro clapped like he was actually proud of Ace. "This changes things, but all is not lost. My babies are on the way. I will have to settle for only two unless you will surrender to me, Wee One."

Ace took a few steps forward in defiance. He showed no signs of surrender. Jacob knew as a child, his son showed no fear and the wolf was no different, but the alpha cautioned him.

 _Easy pup. Watch for my signal. Not yet._

Jacob knew the others were still involved in the fight of their lives, but he wished they had one more with them so the numbers would be even. The father and alpha inside him were at odds. He'd seen what his son could do, but he was worried about the scenario they'd walked into. It almost seemed carefully constructed, like this was the plan all along. Aro was waiting for Jacob to come for him.

Monica lunged and landed on Ace's back. He quickly threw her off, but she was on her feet ready for another go at him. Lady Godiva came at Jake just as he was about ready to show the old roommate how much he disliked betrayal. Aro was clapping jovially as he enjoyed the show. Father and son battled it out with the two bitch vamps. Their bulky wolf bodies collided with hard stone walls again and again. Finally, Jacob managed to use all that wild hair against his opponent. He grabbed a huge clump of hair in his powerful jaws, fell to the ground and rolled. While the leech tried to untangle herself from the wolf, Jake ripped off an arm. The bitter taste corrupted his mouth, but he didn't hesitate. The leech stumbled to her feet like losing an arm fucked with her balance. The wolf sprang forward taking off her head in the process. She was so concerned with a severed appendage, she didn't realize her execution was coming. Her lifeless corpse fell to the hard floor. Now he could concentrate on helping his son.

Monica inflicted another powerful blow to Ace and he wasn't so quick to get up. In fact, he fell back down in a crumbled heap. He was exhausted and injured. She had done them so wrong and hurting his son in front of him was the last straw. Jacob's rage fueled his power. He lunged for her, knocking her off her feet so he could easily pin her at the shoulders. She knew it was the end of the line. At that point, Monica stopped fighting back. Had that been what she wanted all along? She wanted someone to come along and destroy her, ending her miserable existence? He'd be happy to fulfill her destiny after what he witnessed and the betrayal he felt.

Aro spoke, reminding him he was still there enjoying this show as wolves battled his own kind. "Tell him, dear. He should hear it from you."

The wolf opened wide and held that marble throat between his teeth. Monica uttered out her final words. "So sad about Quil, but he deserved it. My heart had been stomped one too many times by shitty guys. Go ahead, kill me, Jake. You're next no matter what and then that sniveling coward of a wife will follow."

He severed her head with one savage bite. Jacob tossed the fucking thing into Aro's hands like a ball. That monster was cackling with laughter holding Monica by her stringy hair. He was completely insane, but he had only humored them up until that point. Whatever headway they'd made inside the walls at Volterra had been allowed. Aro dropped Monica's remains, kicked her head with the side of his foot, then lifted his arm high over his head and snapped his fingers. A rumble came from the walls and overhead almost like they were experiencing an earthquake. The next thing Jake knew the whole room exploded with hooded demons. They came out of thin air, it seemed... more vamps than he'd ever seen and they were ready to kill.

Ace was back on all fours, but they were surrounded. Jacob wasn't giving up, but there was little chance they'd get out of there with their lives. Just when every odd was against them, the entire atmosphere changed once more. Every surface area of the room suddenly ignited in flames. Jacob saw his entire life flash through his mind. He saw his mom and dad, his sisters, Embry, his pack, La Push and he saw Bells with all their kids in her arms. He saw his past, present and future and he also saw an impossible victory unfold. Edward had started a fire with some substance he'd found. They were going to use Aro's weapons against him. The pack broke in the next second while the Cullens were forced to pull back or else they'd suffer in the flames. Now was the test, they'd all see what they were truly made of. They were ending this war once and for all or they would all die trying.

* * *

Jacob carried his limp son in his arms. Edward knew the way to the room where Bella was being held. Once, the head leech went down, Jacob had little time for celebration. Jake, ripped him in several pieces and the guys pinned him down. Jacob phased back human so that he could face him as a man. It was cathartic to show Aro he was being destroyed that way. He knew Aro would see it all, the way he and Bella loved each other, what living truly was. Doubtful, the menace actually remembered his previous life. Jacob grabbed each side of his face and slowly twisted, relishing each cracking sound that human-like facade made as it crumbled.

He only said one phrase, "Credo che si vince." Jacob finished it.

Edward translated as the head went sailing into the fire. Jacob hoisted the body over his head and watched it ignite. "You're damn right, I won."

The remaining vamps scattered if they'd managed not to be dismembered and burned. The ancient corridors were empty and abandoned now. At least Edward confirmed all the leaders and most powerful ones had been destroyed. Jacob never expected to rid the entire world of all vampires, but after this showdown, he expected the pack would have a reputation and not many would dare cross them intentionally.

Jake was hoping they could be on their way home. He was confused why Bella hadn't been taken to safety. Edward explained how Rose discovered Bella in the final stages of labor and that's why Carlisle had disappeared during the final showdown. Jacob was more anxious than ever to see her. She must be so scared with Ace phasing and taking off on top of going into premature labor.

Carlisle was attending to her, but a premature twin birth inside a dungeon was less than favorable conditions. Jake was hopeful they could move her to a hospital. Once the enemies were dealt with, his son's wolf retreated. He carried only a small, exhausted boy in his arms now. He ran into Jake's arms after phasing back, muttered out a few words about Bella and then drifted off to sleep. It was similar to the way he did when Jacob tucked him in at night after playing hard all day. They all knew that wasn't the case. He'd fought like the warrior he was destined to be. Ace had healed from all the injuries. Just like Bella realized a few days ago, he never bled once. Jacob and the others were covered dried blood, as well as oozing cuts all over them. They all suffered painful injuries, but were healing as they should. He knew he was asking an extreme sacrifice of those that came to Italy. There was a good chance some wouldn't make it out alive, but they did. He was relieved that he didn't have to make that terrible announcement to anyone's family. Now, all they needed to know for certain was that the ones left behind were better as well. So far, Leah couldn't get a connection to last longer than a gargled 'hello.'

Emmett, Brady, Canyon and Jared said they would still patrol the hallways just in case one of the leeches decided to come back. When they got close to the room, they all heard the screams from Bells. Leah took Ace from him and told him to go. Paul said he was going to find a place for them to rest close by. No one was sure how long the births would take. Jacob slowly entered the room since he could tell Bella was in the middle of a contraction. Rose had her propped up and was wiping her brow with a cloth while Bella panted through the pain.

Carlisle had one small medical bag he'd carried. There were more supplies on the plane but that was a fairly far distance away. He asked if they could get her to a back to the plane, but the doctor shook his head. Judging from the position Bella was in, she might be pushing soon. There was no way they were escaping this place until those babies were born.

She was so pale. She barely could say his name. "Jacob, I knew you were here. I felt you."

He moved onto the bed with her. "Of course, you did. I felt you too, honey. I'm here now. It's done. I told you, we'd protect you. He'll never threaten you or our kids again." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick kiss to her dry lips. He was ecstatic to destroy Aro, but his heart sank when he saw Bella. She didn't look well. He knew labor was taxing, but she was practically radiant the entire time she labored with Zoe. Although, Bella was in the new wing of the hospital that day. She enjoyed the comforts of a luxury birth suite complete with a jacuzzi tub. This was nothing short of a primitive jail cell. She deserved better. So did his sons, but there was nothing he could do about that and Jacob suddenly felt entirely helpless.

"Atticus?"

"Leah has him just outside the door. He's resting, but he's perfectly fine." She looked relieved, but closed her eyes. She would open them wide when she was assaulted by another labor pain which were coming almost every minute according to Carlisle. He'd never seen someone fall deep asleep every thirty seconds or so, but that's exactly what she was doing.

Jacob was worried about Bells and he was nervous for his sons, "Will they be okay? It's early."

"Yes, normally this is considered a safe time of delivery. I'd rather us be at the hospital of course, but we'll do the best we can. I have no doubt these babies are stronger than most, just like their mother." He asked permission to assess the position of the first twin. Jacob didn't like to think about Dr. Fang's hands in certain regions of his mate's body, but he was a trained physician. He told him to go ahead.

Carlisle's gloved hands came back from under the sheet bright red with Bella's blood. Jacob tried to remind himself childbirth was a bloody ordeal. He watched the vampires in the room carefully. Edward hadn't come inside which was a good thing. Jake didn't want him to be in the room with Bells like that. He should be patrolling the halls with the guys the entire time, especially since he could read anyone that might be approaching.

Carlisle startled Bells who looked more and more exhausted to Jacob, "Bella, with the next contraction, I want you to push."

She barely acknowledged Carlisle. She was already completely wiped out. Jacob took the rag from Rose and dabbed it across her forehead. "You got this babe. You're so strong. Bring these boys into the world and then we're going home. I love you so much." He'd only been apart from her roughly two days, but he couldn't stop touching or looking at her like they'd been apart for weeks. His heart and soul had ached every second he didn't know her fate. There was a brief time when he questioned if he'd ever see her again.

Bella didn't even take five minutes to deliver Max. He slipped out with ease into Carlisle's hands. After a brief assessment that he was breathing fine on his own and appeared healthy, he handed him off to Jacob. That was the best way of keeping him warm since they had no other equipment. Jacob situated him between the two of them.

"Look Bells. You did it. One down, one to go."

She barely had any strength left in her but she smiled and kissed his cheek. "Maximus William Black. I love you."

Her head fell back and she went into a deep sleep. Jacob knew this was nothing like Zoe's birth for obvious reasons. He saw a concerned expression develop on Carlisle's face.

"Is that normal?"

"She's been through an extreme ordeal."

"How long before Rebel is born?"

Carlisle was feeling around Bella's abdomen. He said he feared the other twin was in the wrong position and he was going to attempt to turn him. "He's transverse." Jacob wasn't sure what that meant.

Jacob asked if the contractions had stopped. But Carlisle said he'd just palpated one. The labor was still progressing

All the screaming and carrying on from before had virtually ceased. Bella kept sleeping through everything that was going on with her body. Even as Carlisle appeared a little too forceful with his manual rotation of their son, Bells was still and quiet.

A sick feeling overtook Jacob. He had just faced off with a vast assortment of some of the most powerful immortals in existence. There was no way to even count how many they'd fought off and destroyed, but this silence from Bells frightened him more than any other danger he'd experienced.

He kept looking at Maximus nestled between them. Bella should be awake for their son's first few minutes of life. He knew if she could, she'd open her eyes. He tried to talk to her. Jacob started describing the baby to her. About that time, Edward barged inside without even a knock.

"Get out! You don't get to be in her for this."

"Carlisle, I found a medical facility, it's less than ten miles from here."

"We can't move her, Edward."

"I could call for an ambulance perhaps."

"She won't survive the journey."

Edward pointed to the floor. "She's dying. Look at that. I smelled it from outside."

What they were saying barely registered in Jacob's brain. Bells survived a horrific attack and kidnapping. She'd given birth like a pro with Ace and Zoe. He missed out the first time, but she told him it was similar just longer than Zoe's birth. She brought Maximus into the world with only a few pushes. Why were Carlisle and Edward talking about her like she was some type of fragile being? His Bells was just as much of a warrior as any member of his pack.

Then Jake glanced to the floor where Edward pointed. Blood pooled at Carlisle's feet. He avoided most of the up close and personal stuff when their daughter was born, but that volume of expanding crimson at the foot of the bed and on the ground seemed excessive.

"Why's she bleeding so much?"

"The other placenta is detaching prematurely. I have to get the baby delivered. He's still breech, but it's a breech I can work with now."

Edward and Rose both asked about a C-section.

Carlisle said that would be the quickest, but with zero equipment on top of all the blood she'd already loss, he wasn't willing to risk cutting into her. He gave Rose orders about what to do. Jacob focused on his newborn son's tiny features to remain calm. The two vampires looked like they were brutalizing his wife's battered body. Rose was on her knees next to Bells while she pushed from the top since Bella had nothing left to give herself. Meanwhile, the doctor's hands disappeared inside Bells. He finally announced he had Rebel by the ankles. Seconds later, their other son was visible to Jacob.

He didn't cry immediately like his brother. Jacob screamed for Paul. He passed Max off to his uncle and told him to keep him against his chest. He wanted to help Carlisle however he could.

"Breathe, son... breathe."

Carlisle rubbed the tiny infant's chest. He was giving Jacob instructions on how to deliver a lifesaving breath to his son. He covered his mouth and nose and did what Carlisle said. Tense minutes passed before Rebel fought his way back. He joined their world approximately fifteen minutes after his brother. Once he wailed out a few lusty cries, he pinked right up. Relief filled Jacob. Bella would not have been able to handle the loss of either son. Both boys were tiny but appeared strong. Jacob took his son so Carlisle could tend to Bella. She was still losing way too much blood.

He heard them mention doing a hysterectomy, but Jake didn't know how that would work. Carlisle wouldn't do the Cesarean because of lack of equipment. What had changed? Nothing. Things had only gotten worse for her.

All eyes were on Jacob. He and Bella weren't sure if they'd have more children. They had decided she definitely needed a longer break, but everything was life or death now.

"Do whatever you need to save her. Help her. We can't lose her." Of course, the douche didn't leave once he came inside. Jacob and his pack were indebted to Edward for several reasons, but he felt like an intruder to him at that point. He kept interrupting Carlisle, voicing his opinions. He also wouldn't stop saying how they were losing her.

Jacob ended up giving Rebel to Paul as well so he could focus on Bells. He kissed them both on the forehead.

He encased her hand in his. "Bells, honey. Fight. You've got to fight harder. I know you're tired. These boys need you. Zoe and Ace need you. I need you. Please, honey, wake up."

Carlisle said he needed her uterus to clamp down and it wasn't happening soon enough. Rose jumped over them. She grabbed a syringe, sucked liquid out of bag and plunged it into Bella's leg.

Both Rose and Carlisle appeared distraught. "The Pitocin's not helping either."

Jacob heard her heartbeat start to diminish. It was slower and softer to him each beat that he listened for.

Edward shouted, "Change her! It's the only way now, Carlisle. You know it."

Jacob glared at him. He had no right to be there or make any suggestions such as that.

"Don't you fucking dare even think about it. The answer is no!"

"Are you seriously going to let her die in your arms, dog, when we have the ability to save her? She'll still exist if Carlisle changes her."

It was at that point his mind, body and spirit went to war with each other. Jacob couldn't lose her, but she'd risked so much to remain human. This thing with Aro all those years ago terrified her. She was almost convinced to join the Cullens and suffer the fate of becoming like them. He knew now without a doubt, Bella didn't want that. She chose life. She said it all the time. _I want to be as normal as possible._

"NO!"

Edward rushed to her side like he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"I will fucking knock your head off your body right here. Back off! Bella would want me to say no."

"You're a selfish beast and you're a quitter. Bella sacrificed everything to be with you and you're letting her go without a fight."

"I fought plenty and you know what else, Bella's still fighting too. I know it, I feel it. That's the difference between us. I always believed in her and you never gave her enough credit." Jacob kissed her cool cheeks. "Don't quit, honey. I love you. We have our whole lives ahead of us now. Fight, Bells, dammit... fight!"

Rose interrupted their disagreement. She tended to agree with Jake. "Edward, the mutt's right. Bella and I discussed this once. She wouldn't want that. Her heart's still beating."

Edward grumbled under his breath, "Barely."

Leah burst through the door with Ace in her arms about that time. This was last place their little boy needed to be. Paul jumped up, with both babies in his arms to block the horrific scene unfolding on the bed. He told Leah she should took Ace back out into the hall.

"Wait, you have to hear this. I finally got a call through to home. It's Embry. He's awake. They're all awake! Jake, Quil collaborated Zane's story. He swears he was dead. You have to hear this."

Ace started to come around, "Momma. Help, Mommy!" He screamed when he saw what was going on as he struggled to get away from Leah.

Leah hit her phone's speaker button. Quil yelled it out so they all could hear just as Jacob heard one final frail heartbeat from Bells. The love of his life, his soulmate and imprint, the mother of his children had just faded away in his arms. "It's Ace! Ace did it. He heals people!"

 _ **~Thanks so much for reading.**_

 _ **Breathe. This took a lot out of me to write.**_

 _ **Okay, battle scenes intimidate me, much like love scenes. I usually write the bare bones and then come back and add details that I think make for a more exciting read. Quick question, how did I do? Who is on the edge or should I say ledge? I'm curious to how many 'update immediately' requests I'm about to receive. You've all been so good to me during this story (accept for a rude guest, but I think she quit). I promise not to leave you hanging too long.**_


	57. Chapter 57

_**Listening suggestion is Alan Jackson's "Remember When" It's truly a beautiful song reflecting the journey of a couple.**_

 _ **Announcements at the end, let's get straight to the point. Here is the conclusion to Separation and Lies.**_

Chapter 57: The Journey Worth Taking

 _"Remember when I was young and so were you_ _and time stood still and love was all we knew... "_

It was like a floodgate opened in his damn mind. How had they missed it? Ace was healing before he was ever born. He healed the bite, he put Renee in remission from MS. There were probably countless instances he'd helped out. That damn leech, Monica bragged like she was so sure she'd killed Quil, but Ace must have been in the room long enough to reverse some of the damage inflicted on the pack.

Leah brought him next to Bella's lifeless body. Edward was still rambling, but no longer about turning Bells. "That's it. That's what we couldn't pinpoint. He not only projects his shield, he projects his healing. Phenomenal."

His son still appeared groggy. Jake wondered if the battle had drained him of some of his abilities or if he could still work miracles with ease. Bella wasn't breathing and her heart had stopped, a miracle was their only option. Jacob placed his son's hand in Bella's palm and closed his hands around theirs. "Help Momma!"

Ace nodded. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths in and out his nose. He moved closer so he could lay across Bella's chest.

"That's right. It's there, in her heart. Heal her, son."

Their son wrapped his arms around her as far as he could get them. "I help."

"Of course, you do. You're helping. You have been all along."

Jacob didn't know how long it took. It couldn't have been terribly long, but also seemed like forever. When that first sound uttered from her chest, he knew Bella wasn't the only one that got her life back, he'd also been resurrected. Ace didn't let go. He kept holding his mother with his arms around her and his head on her chest. Her heart got stronger, louder and in the perfect rhythm that Jacob had memorized long ago when a teenager girl came to him, broken and confused, but seeking some sort of human connection. The whole room stood still until Bella's hands reached around her son and joined with Jacob's across Ace's back.

He repeated himself again, "I help."

* * *

Bella opened her eyes and pointed to her mouth. She'd been in and out of consciousness for hours. Jacob asked if was alright to give her water. Carlisle said most definitely, small sips at first though. He'd started her on IV fluids when they got back to the plane. Emmett said a weather system was expected by morning. They decided everyone was safe to travel almost immediately after boarding, since waiting wasn't going to be in their best interest.

He watched Bella reach for her belly. She looked slightly worried. How could she have forgotten? Maybe she thought she was trapped in a nightmare. "Bells, they're up front, sleeping. Leah has Rebel and Paul has Maximus.

She sipped the water and then cleared her throat a few times. "Are they okay?"

"Perfectly fine. However, they don't like that weird milk from a can Blondie tried to give them with a syringe."

Rose heard them talking. "It's all I could find in a rush."

"What? Oh my gosh, they're starving. Give them to me."

"Carlisle said they were fine. They held down enough to stay hydrated. You were a bit incapacitated at the time. I wasn't going to trouble you to breastfeed. Take a few minutes to wake up. I don't want you pushing yourself too soon."

"Where's Atticus?"

"He was talking to Eh, but I'm pretty sure he bored him senseless and he's crashed now." He wiped his fingers across her crinkled brow. "I know that look, but I assure you there's no need to worry about him ever again."

"I'm his mother. Of course, I'm still going to worry. He's a remarkable kid, isn't he?"

"Yes, more than we realized. Now that he knows the gist is up, he's been talking a mile a minute. Paul already asked what some of the words he uses actually mean."

She laughed.

He gave her a few more sips of water until she announced she really needed to pee. Jacob didn't hesitate from lifting her up to carry her to the back of the plane. Bella insisted he put her down and she stopped him at the door.

"There's very little chance we both can fit in here. I can handle it from here."

"But you just had two babies in a vampire fortress and you... "

"I, what, Jake?" He wondered if she knew how bad it was. He couldn't even say it out loud yet. "Trust me, it wasn't my first rodeo. I know how to take care of myself after giving birth. You can stay by the door."

Jacob waited until he heard the sink run, then he opened the door. He didn't trust her walking around or maybe he just couldn't let her away from him. He got her settled back down on the converted bed.

"I want my babies now, please."

What else could he say to that, but yes? They were both quiet and sound asleep, but their mother needed them. "Be right back."

Jacob put one baby in each arm. "Oh Jake, look at them. They're perfect. Please, tell me you have a surefire way to tell them apart."

He uncovered Rebel slightly. "Look, Rebel has a tiny strawberry birthmark on his ankle. Lahote says it's cuz Dr. Fang burned him when pulled him out by the foot." They heard Paul chuckle from his seat. Bella said she was giving them both a spanking as soon as she was a hundred percent.

"Don't tell Rach, but that sounds hot."

Jacob growled at him and told him to stop eavesdropping on them.

She lowered her voice a little more. "That's a terrible thing to say. Carlisle, obviously did a great job. I don't even remember the second delivery."

Jacob filled her in a little, not going into too much detail. He wasn't ready to relive it actually. The boys noticed they were finally in their mother's arms. They both woke up and started to root around. Carlisle came from the cockpit and talked to her a little. He was keeping her on the IV fluids until they landed. Air travel naturally dehydrated the body. He removed the empty bag of blood. He told her to drink as much as possible and that Rose was gathering her some snacks. She was still depleted but he said breastfeeding the twins was best for all of them. He told her to let him know if she needed some pain medicine and then he turned away to give the family their privacy.

"Wait, Carlisle. Thank you. You've always been there for me. Thanks for bringing my sons into the world safely." Jacob had asked them all to keep quiet about Jasper and Alice until she had some time to heal. No one wanted to talk about it so soon anyway.

He smiled and told her it was his honor, but she did all the work, he was merely a catcher.

Bella was curious. "Who gave me blood?"

A hand stuck out from behind a seat and waved. "That'd be me, best she-wolf blood on the market. Don't worry if you get the urge to howl or kick ass as soon as next week."

Bella said her thanks to Leah. She looked a bit baffled as if what Leah said was accurate. "It's only blood, Bells. She didn't alter your DNA."

The boys started to get pretty vocal that they were ready to eat. "Oh my, this might be a challenge. Can you help?"

Jacob got some extra cushions to help prop the babies. He announced to anyone that was actually awake not to come back there while Bella was breastfeeding. She wanted him to completely remove the clean shirt Rose dressed her in once they got her washed up on the plane when she was still out of it. She said being skin to skin was best for the boys. Max figured out immediately what he needed to do. He latched on perfectly. Rebel was getting frustrated and kept letting go before he could get started.

"You're determined to be a troublemaker, aren't you?"

"I guess you were spot on when you named him. Here, flip him around. I think I know what will work better for him since he's so small."

"You mean flip, like upside down?"

"No, silly. Turn his legs facing the other direction and bring him up under my arm. It's called the football hold. Imagine he's a ball and I'm going to carry him." He got it after she used a sports analogy.

Jacob held his head for her since her hands were taken. Finally, Rebel caught on and got his fair share. Bella brought up the fact they never gave him a middle name. Jacob didn't think he needed one. Rebel said it all, but she was pushing for one. Her idea of good, strong names and Jacob's slightly differed.

The ever-present annoyance in Jacob's life chimed in. "Edward is still a fine name."

"Are you shitting me right now?"

"Hardly, I'm not even sure I understand that gruesome phrase. It would be fitting in a round about way."

"No, it wouldn't. Bells, you got one chance to wow me or no middle name."

She took a few minutes of thinking when she finally decided on a name. "I like Gregory. I want him to be Rebel Gregory. Will that do? I only brought him into the world under the direst conditions practically at death's door. I should get a say so. Admit it, he needs something to soften that brutish first name up a little."

"Fine, you can add Gregory. No one but moms ever use the middle name anyway. Besides, RGB are his initials, kinda sounds like a weapon. I like it."

Carlisle came back out into view again. Bella waved and smiled. He mouthed, _thank you_ to her. Jacob didn't miss the glances between the two of them.

"Wait a minute, is that some bloodsucker name I don't know about?"

"Of course not, it's just a nice name and you already agreed. No take backs. Actually, the boys are slowing down. I'm going to need your help again."

"Is it always going to be this complicated with two? If you think it is, I'm probably going to have to quit my job because I don't feel comfortable letting anyone else be your official tit holder."

She giggled. Her laughter was music to Jacob's ear.

Bella said she was sure after an adjustment period, she would have a system with her two babies. She looked up at Jake after staring at their sons for a good ten minutes. Bella picked up on every similarity and difference between them, Ace and Zoe. "Poor Zoe, she's going to be surrounded by boys her whole life."

"Maybe one day, we'll provide her with a little sister. I think she'd love that considering how much she plays with dolls."

"Jacob Black, don't dare mention getting me pregnant again right now. You better have a solution for those aggressive wolf sperm or you're not coming anywhere near me for the foreseeable future."

He told her to calm down, he'd handle it because staying away from her was an impossibility.

After the joking, she got pretty serious, "I know it was a difficult childbirth. I didn't screw up things in there, did I? I mean, did Carlisle mention if we could safely have more? I don't mean anytime soon. I need at least five years to think about it, but I'm open to the possibility if you are."

"Honey, our son jump-started your silent heart. I'm pretty sure, in a few weeks, you'll be completely healed and perfect like you always were. Don't worry about our future anymore. We're set to live that wonderful, normal life you always dreamed about."

"How hard was it fighting Aro?"

"I told you earlier, all our side is fine."

"Yes, but you left out so many parts. I think you're keeping me in the dark on purpose. I know when you're holding back."

"Aro was all talk, easiest kill I ever had."

"You're such a liar."

"Maybe, but I love you so much it hurts. That's the truth. I don't want to dredge up all the bad memories so soon. Also, I've been up for nearly forty-two hours straight. How about I burp these boys and get them settled? Then you and I can snuggle on this tiny bed and fall asleep in each other's arm until this plane lands in Washington."

"Sounds like a plan. You always did make the best plans for me."

* * *

Jacob refused all visitors except for their parents the first 48 hours they were home. The guys were respectful but they were all on edge to see their alpha queen after her experience. He finally told the entire pack they could come over for dinner. The ladies said they were making a week's worth of food so Bella wouldn't have to do anything but sit still and take care of the twins.

Bella slept a lot. Jacob would take care of the babies and bring them to her for feedings. Moments when she was alert, they'd talk. He and Bella had a very long discussion about everything that took place over those two days. She was heartbroken about what happened to Monica. He knew she second guessed some of her choices, but admitted her old friend was never the same when she lived on the reservation. Now that she really gave it some thought, she and Barry must have never really known her at all if she'd already been seduced by Aro's will. They'd never know what he did or what he held over her all those years.

Bella was equally crushed about Jasper. "Poor Alice. Is there any change?"

Jacob said not yet, but Carlisle was hoping the urge to feed would eventually force her into moving again. "Look, Edward told me he's not giving up on her and when you were better, maybe the three of you could sit together and talk. He hopes seeing that you were rescued might snap her out of it. He said Alice was always a sucker for nostalgia."

She said she would definitely be willing to try. "They brought us into this strange world but they also saved our lives a few times. Kind of ironic, isn't it?"

"Yep, that's the best description I can think of, but what's done is done. At least, you and I have each other the way we were meant to be. I'm relieved that heavy burden that followed you for so long is now gone, permanently."

"I have a confession to make."

"What's that?"

"Carlisle told me once his father's name was Gregory."

"You're kidding. I knew it, that name is connected to a bloodsucker."

"No, think about it. It's not. I have this feeling if it wasn't for Carlisle upbringing, he never would've remained such a kind, compassionate being after the violence that stole his human life from him. It was my way of honoring his choices. It's kinda like we've all come full circle, but I wanted you to know the whole story."

Jacob decided he could live with that. Bella had a way for making him understand her motives. He finally told her more about the opponents they faced in Volterra, since she wouldn't stop asking for the details. Most of the time, he talked about Ace and how he amazed him more and more each second. She said with certainty, "We truly broke the mold when we made him, didn't we?"

"Definitely."

Jacob informed her about the life-threatening injuries the guys suffered that day. Ace saved the day when he reversed the damage. He assured her every guy there was fine now, even Quil. "I swear if he tells one more story about being disemboweled by a vengeful bloodsucker and living to tell about it, I'm ripping out his tongue so he can't talk anymore."

"He's certainly got a unique campfire story."

Jacob said Renee asked about moving into the cabin. "I told her yes. I hope that's okay. I figured you needed the help with all these little ones, not that she cooks or cleans but at least it's an extra set of hands and when we're sick of her, we can lock the front door."

"Umm, we might have to ship her off to Billy occasionally but I think she's good with the children and we know Ace is exactly what she needs for her health to stay on track. Thank you for extending that offer. I'm sure she was touched."

"Yes, touched isn't what I'd call it. I'm the one that got molested by her. She grabbed me and kissed me a little more than I wanted. Your mom needs a man."

"You're clueless sometimes, aren't you?"

"Hey, I'm insulted by that statement. I know everything that's going on with our pack."

"Jake, Mom loves Billy and he loves her back."

"No way, they're like best friends."

"Whatever you say. You're my best friend, but I'm still madly in love with you and we do all sorts of naughty things to each other." Jacob covered his ears and made juvenile noises to block out what Bells was saying. "I think they keep it hush hush because they're afraid of what you might think. It's been years, you should probably give them your blessing."

"Ugh, but it's so weird."

Bella said Renee assured her she and his father were never getting married. Billy didn't even like her living with him. She about drove him crazy those months she stayed in Embry's old room. This was just about having a special someone to grow old with while enjoying the grandchildren they shared. They didn't want to label it, they just wanted their kids' support and understanding.

"Just mention it to Billy when you have some alone time. Tell them we love them no matter what."

"Fine, but if I ever see Dad wheeling out of the cabin one morning, I'm going back to bed and pouting for at least three days."

"You can't be serious?"

"It's still weird to me, Bells, so yeah, I am. I always supported their friendship, but I never pictured them being more than that."

She climbed on top of him. "Fair enough, you need some time. You know when I first left Edward, I spent many a night staring up at the ceiling, I never once pictured this scenario." She rubbed her fingers across his stubbled jaw. "I thought I would always be alone and that I deserved my fate for the way I hurt you."

Jacob swallowed hard because of the emotions that surfaced at the mention of those lost years. He remembered the years of punishing himself in various manners because of the lies he told or the truths he withheld.

"How did we survive years apart when I barely can stand being at work half the day?"

She said she didn't have a clue, she was just glad they didn't have to know what separation was like anymore.

"Bells, those minutes that dragged on when your heart wasn't beating was the lowest point in my life. I could feel my own strength slipping away. I know you would've wanted me to stick around for our kids but I would've been dead within the hour. Our son saved us both when he performed his little trick." She buried her face in his neck and they held each other close promising never to take one second of the life they shared for granted. Bella's hormones kicked in and she started crying. It had to be at least the tenth time since they'd been home.

"Rose told me about your and Edward's disagreement. I hate that you were put in that position, but I wanted you to know. You chose right. He was wrong to push."

"What else is new? I'm right and the tick is wrong. Will he ever truly admit defeat? I doubt it."

Jacob could hardly blame the bloodsucker for loving Bells through it all. However, it seemed he'd learned his place in her life and that he was nothing more than a good friend. Jacob had kinda hoped the Cullens would move on now. He was fairly certain they would depending on Alice, but he doubted they'd ever truly lose touch with them. The unlikely bonds had formed between their coven and his pack. Bella was the reason mortal enemies united to fight for a common cause. She eventually grew tired again and dozed off against his chest. Bella was the reason for a lot of things and he was never letting her go.

* * *

Quil was anxious to pull Bella aside when he got there so they could compare afterlife experiences.

She shrugged at all his crazy questions. "Honestly, Quil. I can't remember."

"Well, I remember everything. I was a wild stallion running across a celestial prairie. The skies were blasting a heavenly symphony in my honor."

Embry came up behind him and smacked him on the back of his head. "He's lying, Bella. He was a jackass just like he is in this realm. He embellishes the story a little more each time he retells it."

"Shut up, I would have been fuck-awesome at being dead, but Claire-bear needed me so I came back for her."

Quil reached out and grabbed Claire to pull her into his lap. Those two were no longer putting the next stage on hold. They weren't taking another second for granted.

"Sorry, Bella. This is the last time he's talking about it. I told him I don't wish to relive that day ever again." He gave her a big sloppy kiss in front of the whole crowd. It was going to take a little time getting used to them like that, but it felt right. It felt like it was time.

The rest of the evening was spent like any other night they all got together. The babies got passed around, but slept through the majority of it. Barry was super excited to introduce his and Collin's little girl to the babies. She was just over a year old. They adopted her from a young waitress that worked for Brit. She'd been thrown out of her home when she was seventeen and pregnant. The guys offered her a place in Katarina's life always and they helped her get settled in an apartment in Seattle so she could go to school. It turned out to be the best for everyone they found each other.

Barry said, "Kat can't wait to help with those babies. I told her maybe next time she can hold them." She babbled 'baba' over and over.

Billy and Renee were happy to each hold a twin. His father was super proud Max carried his name. He added the Black line would flourish for certain now and he could die a happy man. Renee kicked at him. She said they both had plenty of life left and she was waiting for the day they actually held great-grand-babies in their arms. Bella reached for Billy's free hand. "I'm so sorry about the tribal center. I felt sick the first time I thought about what happened to all our hard work."

"Don't you worry a second about that. All that matters is that the lives were spared."

She agreed, but Bella was crushed for the tribe. She'd tried to call the reporter that was covering the story, but hadn't gotten through.

"He didn't tell you?"

Bella saw glances exchanged between Jacob and Billy. "Tell me what?"

Jacob gave her the good news. He called the magazine as soon as they got home. He said they'd had a bit of a natural disaster and suffered some damage. On top of all that, Bella had their babies early. "They were happy to reschedule for next month."

"Next month? Can we repair it by then?"

"Yes, honey. I had a work crew out there already this morning. The guys did their best cleaning up the blood and gore first so it wouldn't look like a major crime scene. It's going to be perfect in time for the rescheduled shoot."

"You're the best husband in the world. I'm so excited now." He gave her a quick kiss and added she made him better than he ever was without her.

Jacob got even more praise from Charlie when he pulled him into the kitchen, "You did good. You brought my girl back to me. I knew you would." He gave him the usual one-arm hug and called him son.

Bella winked from across the room. She'd been watching them. Jake mouthed _love you_ and she blew him a kiss. He had one last surprise to reveal to her when Sage and Ryder walked inside searching for food. They needed refueling. Jacob had been a bit chicken avoiding the talk they so desperately needed to have.

"Oh my God! You boys, you both grew at least six inches since I last saw you. Jake, stop this. They don't have to now that Aro's gone."

They both walked over, kissed their aunt and told her not to worry that they felt great. In fact, they were anxious to go back out and run. They'd spent very few hours as boys since phasing a few days ago.

"But, they're so young. Why didn't you tell me?"

He figured she had enough to absorb with everything else and she still didn't know the other shocker, but it was coming. Ace came running through the crowd, bounded over an ottoman in his path without missing a step.

Bella watched as their young son also bolted for the door. "Atticus, stop!" The pup listened and turned around to come back to Bells. He gave her a kiss on the cheek when she bent down to speak to him. "Sorry, Mommy. I forgot to say goodbye. Later. Don't wait up."

Jacob did a face palm. What four year old tells his mother something like that? "Stop! Jake, stop him. What's he doing? It's already dark out."

Ace looked at Jacob for permission to spill the beans.

"He's going to go run with the pack, honey. You know what happened. We can't reverse it."

"Yes, of course, we can. I know what happened during a life and death situation, but we're no longer having an emergency. I thought things would go back to normal for him now. You can't be seriously considering allowing him to continue to phase. He's too young. Go to bed, Atticus!"

Jacob playfully patted his son's behind, "Go on, Mommy's going to continue to freak out for the next couple of days. Behave, no showing off." He left to catch up to his older cousins. "I know that _I'm so pissed at you_ look, honey, but come on, he was never normal from the start. He's in his element. He has alpha blood coursing through his veins. To be honest, I'm tired. He's paying attention to everything I do. I predict he'll take over before he's even a teenager. It's not like before. The chances of real danger are very slim and I already told you what he can do. I'm not worried about him in the least."

Jacob wrapped his arm around her and kissed her flushed cheek. She was beyond annoyed, but he could tell she also was starting to accept things as they were. It was their kind of normal. The party had settled down and all eyes were on the alpha pair.

Bella crossed her arms in front of her, "So that's it, he's a wolf at five years old and you're encouraging him? End of story."

"Damn, Bells. Of course it's not the end of the story. Our story is just getting started."

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 ******* The End*******

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 _ **~Thanks so much for reading my story.**_

 _ **My mind is boggled by the attention this story received. Let's talk reviews, most likely going over 1,300 soon. I seriously love that I'm seeing reviews from people that aren't frequent reviews. I've been trying to show my appreciation in PM's lately. If I missed a few, I apologize but I read every single one. Thanks to my loyal guest reviewers as well.**_

 _ **This was a completely spontaneous idea, but I'm so glad I chose to write it. I took some hits in the beginning because some people couldn't handle the angst. Sure, Bella and Jacob's behavior was questionable at times throughout the early chapters, but I was trying to incorporate real human emotions. Hurt people don't always behave themselves.**_

 _ **Truth is, I like to write Epilogues and I always thought I'd write one for this story, but when the final words came together, it suddenly felt complete. I'll let my readers imagine what else they picture happening in Jacob and Bella's lives along with their children, parents and pack.**_

 _ **Finishing this was my ultimate fanfiction goal. I'm not planning on totally disappearing, but I have some other goals I've set for myself, so I won't be updating other stories as often. I truly appreciate every reader and reviewer that's encouraged me over the two years I've been writing.**_


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